


Stones and Feathers

by HPFandom_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Drama, Explicit Language, First Time, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Romance, Sexual Content, Slash sex, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-08-11
Updated: 2008-11-04
Packaged: 2018-09-30 05:04:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 24
Words: 48,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10154291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HPFandom_archivist/pseuds/HPFandom_archivist
Summary: “When the world says,"Give up,"Hope whispers,"Try it one more time."”Harry's life had never gone smoothly, why should that change now?





	1. Chapter 1 - The Process

**Author's Note:**

> Note from SeparatriX, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [HP Fandom](http://fanlore.org/wiki/HP_Fandom_\(archive\)), which was closed for health and financial reasons. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2016. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [HP Fandom collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/hpfandom/profile).

  
Stones and Feathers

“When the world says, _"Give up,"_ Hope whispers, _"Try it one more time."”_  


People stared at Harry as he walked by down a busy and crowded street in muggle London. Even if a witch or wizard had passed him, they wouldn’t have known it was the great Harry Potter, saviour of the Wizarding world, because his scar was cleverly hidden from view by his thick, black fringe that was long enough to cover one of his black lined, emerald eyes.  
Harry felt, strangely, that he didn’t mind even half as much that people where looking at him when it wasn’t at his forehead.

The looks Harry suddenly got where a far cry from the idolising stares usually directed his way, they were disapproving and sometimes even a little wary. But that was exactly what he wanted. Harry had never liked his ‘golden boy’ image, and was tired of looking all clean-cut and innocent, so he did what anyone in his position did; he changed.  
With his old look, people would come up to him without a second thought, but now he didn’t think people would be so keen even if they did know who he was. The muggles gave Harry a wide berth, moving out of his way and leaving a metre of free space around him in every direction despite the fact that the street was heaving with people. 

It hadn’t occurred to Harry until the second week of his school holidays (and he had felt immensely stupid when it finally did) that after years of suffering Dudley’s far too large hand-me-downs, he could’ve bought his own clothes about five years ago when Hagrid had given him his key to Gringotts; and in second year he had even seen Hermione’s parents exchanging muggle money. That very day, without even telling the Dursley’s (not that they would’ve cared anyway), Harry had stuck out his wand hand flat over the road and the Day Bus, which was a violent orange colour, had pulled up in front of him with a screech. He had politely asked for the Leaky Cauldron, paid his 11 sickles, and clambered on without a backwards look. 

Now walking down the street, he couldn’t believe how much he had changed so much in little less than 6 hours. He had bought himself a whole new wardrobe with the money he had exchanged at Gringotts, one that actually fitted (quite tightly too!) The very moment he had excited the shop, after a while trying on various items with the help of the teenage sales girl, he had found a toilet to change in, dressed in his new black, skin-tight jeans (which were so low you could see the top of his black boxers), black and acid green studded belt, tight black t-shirt with an acid green lightening bolt on the front, and black vans. He had then promptly found the nearest bin and unceremoniously dumped Dudley’s disgusting, baggy old clothes inside.

After years of being told off my Uncle Vernon, and countless bad hair cuts from Aunt Petunia herself, he realised that the only thing the Dursley’s had ever been right about was his hair. It looked like a birds nest quite frankly. So he had headed to the nearest hairdressers to finally do something with his unruly hair. He had had it chemically straightened so it would now lay flat, dyed even blacker than it already was, and had it cut so the back was very short and it got longer towards the front, and he had a side fringe that covered his left eye and scar. Even the hair dresser herself had been impressed with the change!

He had walked out with enthusiasm and in a better mood than he had felt for what felt like years and he thought to himself, “Why stop here? I’ve already gone this far.” In the end, he had acted completely on impulse and gone the whole hog and got his ears, eyebrow and lip pierced, bought black eyeliner and nail varnish, and even got into a tattoo parlour, as they never even asked his age, and got a black, five-pointed star on the inside of his left wrist. It had hurt like hell, but Harry didn’t care, he looked great and he didn’t mind admitting it, if only to himself.

Out of the corner of his eye Harry spotted an optician. He walked up to the window and peered inside. He really needed to get new glasses. Making up his mind he strode into the shop and a bell tinkled somewhere in the distance. As Harry gazed at the many pairs of glasses, a plump woman with a kind face and brown curly hair smiled at him as she bustled over.  
“Can I help you dear?” she asked kindly.  
“Err yes.” said Harry quickly. “I was wondering if you could possibly help me pick out new glasses, or maybe contacts would be better.” He added as an after-thought.  
“Okay, well you will need your eyes examining first.” said the woman; she gestured for Harry to follow her as she led him away to a room at the back of the shop.  
Harry followed her cautiously, he had no idea what to expect as he hadn’t even been to have his eyes tested since he was six years old. Not surprisingly he couldn’t remember anything about it. She gestured to a chair at the very back of the room. It was dark, with a strange looking projector and various different lenses in a box on the side. Harry sat down gingerly in the chair and it squeaked as he lowered himself into it.  
“Harriet!” the woman hollered suddenly, making Harry jump in surprise.  
Around 5 seconds later, a girl with very long and straight, bleached-blonde hair came running around the corner. Her hair was in very short layer at the top, with a black and pink bow settled at the right side of her head. Her black-lined, deep blue eyes sparkled in the light from the doorway, and she had several piercings including her nose, lip, ears and eyebrow. She was clad in very tight blue jeans, black vest top, black studded belt, and ferociously yellow converse. As she reached up to push her fringe out of her eyes, Harry noticed a tattoo. Exactly the same as he had had done not only minutes ago. 

“This young man needs his eyes checking.” The woman continued her voice now thankfully at normal volume, and pointing at Harry. The girl, obviously called Harriet, looked at Harry, her eyes taking in his appearance carefully until she smiled.  
“Be a dear and do it for me?” said the woman, and she patted Harriet on the shoulder as she walked past.   
“Sure.” she said, grinning. She walked into the room and picked up a strange looking instrument from the table next to Harry.  
“Could you take your glasses off for me please?” she asked, without looking at him.  
“Oh, yeah.” said Harry hastily, taking off his glasses.  
“I want you to look straight ahead okay? I’m going to shine this in your eyes so I can have a look at them.” Harriet explained. She walked around Harry and pulled up a chair directly in front of his, she sat down and lent in very close to him. She shone the light into his eyes and Harry tried not to blink, but his eyes watered and ended up blinking several times, trying to get his eyes to focus. Finally he opened his eyes properly, and he heard Harriet gasp.  
“Is something wrong?” he asked quickly, feeling slightly panicked.  
“No. It’s just, well…forgive me for being so forward, but you have beautiful eyes.” she said quietly. Even in the poor light, Harry could tell she was blushing, and he himself found his face growing hot.  
He gulped. “So do you.” he said, nervously.  
“Thanks.” She said, gently.

There was an awkward silence, in which neither of them could find anything to say, until… “What’s your name?” Harriet said, suddenly.  
“Harry.” He replied.  
“That’s weird.” said Harriet slowly. “As you might’ve noticed, I’m Harriet. But everyone calls me Harry. Apart from that stupid old bat, I tell her over and over again ‘It’s Harry’ but she never gets it so I gave up trying.” She laughed.  
“I think that’s probably best.” said Harry, and after a brief pause, added. “I couldn’t help but noticed that tattoo on your wrist before, and well, I think you have good taste.” he smiled at her.  
“What do you mean?” she asked, frowning slightly.  
Harry turned his wrist face up, and extended his arm towards her. She looked shocked, and did the same.  
“Snap!” they both said at exactly the same moment. They both fell about laughing, but stopped when they heard a voice shouting. “I thought you were giving him an eye test Harriet, stop acting the fool and get on with it!”  
They both sniggered. “And she seemed so nice when I first came in.” said Harry in amusement.  
“You are sadly mistaken.” said Harriet, with a chuckle. “She’s an evil old witch.” She muttered under her breath. Harry laughed.  
“So” said Harriet, matter-of-factly. “Do you live in London or just visiting?”   
“Well I live in Surrey, so it’s not far away.” said Harry. “I came to get a new look.” he added with a laugh.  
“Well you look freaking HOT, if I do say so myself.” said Harriet.  
Harry roared with laughter. “No one has EVER said that to me.”  
“Really? I’m very surprised.” Harriet said, with shock etched onto her face.  
“Well if you’d seen me before you might find it easier to believe. I feel so much better.”  
“Glad to hear it.” said Harriet happily. “There aren’t enough decent looking lads round here.” Harry laughed softly.  
“Its weird hearing people say things like that about me.”  
“Well you seem decent enough.” said Harriet, shrugging.  
“Thanks.” Said Harry; he thought for a while before saying. “I know we’ve only been talking for about ten minutes, but the thing is, I’m actually only here for two months of the year because I go to a boarding school the rest of the year, so when I get back I don’t have anyone to talk too. So I was wondering if you’d like to be friends.” Harry smiled. “Seeing as I’m decent enough.”  
Harriet chuckled. “Sure. If you ever want a chat or something then I’m here everyday apart from Sunday’s. Maybe we could go to a gig.”   
“I’d like that.” said Harry, grinning from ear to ear.  
“Good.” said Harriet. “Now, enough chit chat, I’m supposed to be giving you an eye test.”  
“Oh yeah.” said Harry. “I was beginning to wonder why we where sat in the dark.”  
They both laughed and Harriet muttered, “Good God.”

 

_Author's Note: Hey, first chapter up. I've got more written, so we'll see when I can post.  
Reviews?_


	2. Chapter 2 - Calm Before The Storm

  
Author's notes: He leant back against his pillows, before falling straight into the first nightmare-less sleep he had had for months.  


* * *

Harry drew in a deep breath and braced himself as he slowly extended his hand to knock at the gleaming white door of number 4, Private Drive. Harry was sure he was going to get - as Ron so subtly put - a good bollocking. Using the last of his courage, Harry rapped sharply on the door. He waited, his arms crossed for warmth as he rocked backwards and forwards on his heels. It may have been July, but it was still fairly cold at night, with a breeze that would’ve been welcome throughout the hot day but now was biting and icy. He shivered slightly, but froze as he saw the large shadow of what could only have been his Uncle Vernon through the glass. Preparing himself for the worst, Harry forced his face straight as Uncle Vernon yanked the door open.  
Uncle Vernon gaped at him and Harry gave a weak smile.

“What the devil have you done boy?” Uncle Vernon hissed, angrily as he grabbed Harry by the collar and pulled him roughly inside; staring into the street to make sure no one was looking as he went.  
“What do you mean, done?” asked Harry, as Uncle Vernon slammed the door behind him and turned to Harry, his nostrils flaring like an angry bull.  
“You know bloody well what!” Uncle Vernon shouted, spraying Harry with spit.  
“Oh this.” said Harry innocently, looking up and down himself. “Well I was getting a bit bored of looking like a tramp in Dudley’s old clothes.”  
Uncle Vernon swelled like a bull frog and shouted “Why you ungrateful little…” but he stopped mid sentence when Aunt Petunia came down the hall.  
“What is it this time?” She hissed; then caught sight of Harry and shrieked. “Oh good Lord! What on Earth are you wearing?”   
“Well,” Harry started, speaking as slowly “These are called jeans.” He pointed at them. “And this is a t-shirt.” He pointed again, but Aunt Petunia had clapped a hand to her heart and let out a shrill cry. “Is that a TATTOO?” She hurried forwards and grabbed Harry’s wrist and yanked it up to the light.  
“Sure is.” said Harry grinning. He was quite enjoying himself.

At that moment, Dudley had obviously decided that at the words ‘tattoo’ whatever was going on in the hallway was much more interesting than what was on TV, and waddled in to find Harry grinning while his mother and father looked horrified.  
Harry noticed Dudley; perfect.  
“Hi Dudders. Want to check out my tattoo?” he said.  
Dudley backed away, staring at Harry with an appalled look on his piggy face.  
“You-you’ve got a tattoo?” Dudley said, his voice several octaves higher than normal.  
“Yup!” said Harry, happily. “And I’ve got my ears, eyebrow and lip pierced.”  
Dudley gasped, seeing the silver bar above Harry’s right eye.  
“I’ll do yours for you if you want.” said Harry, with an evil grin. That was all it took. Dudley turned and ran as fast as his fat legs could carry him back into the living room, yelling all the way. Harry snickered to himself.   
After Dudley’s large backside had disappeared from view, Harry decided he had spent quite enough time tormenting the Dursley’s and headed upstairs, leaving his stunned Aunt and Uncle gawping after him. 

Harry flopped down onto his bed, exhausted but content, after a very exciting day.  
Just as he was dozing off to a well earned sleep, a sharp rapping at his window jerked him back to consciousness again. He peered blearily up at the window to see Hedwig and an absolutely minute owl that he recognised as Ron’s owl, Pigwidgeon, sitting on the window ledge. He stood up and stretched, making his joints crack and staggered over to the window. He opened it and Hedwig and Pig flew in, Pig hooting enthusiastically and zooming around Harry’s bedroom, while Hedwig settled herself on Harry’s bed in a far more dignified manner.  
Harry swiftly snatched Pig out of the air, and pulled an envelope from his leg which was about twice the size of the owl himself. He carried Pig to Hedwig’s perch where he gleefully swallowed down some of the icy water. Harry sat back down to study Ron’s letter. It read:

_Dear Harry,_  
Sorry it’s taken so long to write but Mum has been driving us all up the wall with chores and crap like that. I asked if you could come and stay with us for a bit and Mum said yes, of course. She loves you, and if you come then she will slack off on us about the housework, so please say you can come!  
Me and Hermione are going into Diagon Alley in 3 days, if you want to come. I need some new robes; mine are about 6 inches too fucking short!  
Hermione is already here and just told me off for swearing even though it’s in a letter. Mental eh! But seriously, if she wasn’t here looking over my shoulder I’d have some other things to discuss with you. Boy things, that nosey people like Hermione wouldn’t want to know about; another reason for you to come mate! I need more male company…that isn’t idiot brothers. 

_But anyway, getting side tracked. If you can come to Diagon Alley then send a reply with Pig. We are going to be there at 1:00pm in Florean Fortescue's Ice-cream Parlour, just look for the gangly kid with red hair! Haha._  
Look forward to seeing, and talking to you mate.  
Make sure you wind the muggles up – from Fred and George.  
See you soon.   
Ron. 

Harry grinned. He knew exactly what boy problems Ron had meant, and sniggered at the thought of Hermione ever finding out. He grabbed a spare bit of parchment off his desk and scribbled his reply to Ron.

_Hey Ron._  
Very interesting letter you sent me. Why don’t you talk to one of your brothers about your boy problem? Joking. They would take the Mick out of you for the rest of your life.  
I can come to Diagon Alley, I’ll see you there.   
And tell Fred and George that I have wound the muggles up a hell of a lot about err, 10 minutes ago. They are proper pissed off with me! You will know why when I see you, and Fred and George will know if I come and stay.  
I can’t wait to see you and Hermione again. I’ve had practically no company apart from this girl called Harry (well Harriet, but she doesn’t like that. Weird isn’t it?) I was talking to. So this holiday hasn’t really been too bad so far; but Jesus fucking Christ, are you going to get a shock when you see me on Friday!  
I’ll leave you to wonder now.  
See you later mate!  
Harry 

He folded up his reply, and gave it to Pigwidgeon who took off through Harry’s, still open, bedroom window, swaying slightly in the wind.  
He turned his attention to Hedwig who was still waiting patiently on his bed.  
“Hey girl.” He said softly stroking her white feathered head, which she cocked at him, looking at his face apparently taking in his new appearance.   
“Please say YOU like it.” said Harry, pleadingly. “Your opinion is the only one that matters to me anyway.” Hedwig rubbed her head into Harry’s hand and made a low hooting noise. Harry took this as a ‘yes’.  
“Good.” He murmured gently. He pried the letter out of Hedwig’s beak and ripped it open. It was the normal letter from Hogwarts, reminding him that term started on September 1st and a list of his new books. Harry got up and put the letter on his desk, along with Ron’s. Feeling even more tried than before, Harry slumped backwards onto his bed and almost squashing Hedwig, who gave an indignant hoot and flapped off to her perch.   
“Sorry.” He said, but Hedwig turned her beak up at him. Sighing, Harry pulled his new pyjamas out of one of his many shopping bags and got ready for bed, making sure to wash his face in the bathroom, before returning to his room.  
He leant back against his pillows, before falling straight into the first nightmare-less sleep he had had for months.

 

_Author's Note: Second chapter, hope you're excited for the next one!  
Reviews?_


	3. Chapter 3 - It's Been Awhile

  
Author's notes: There was pause, then, “Fine”, said Harry, angrily. He pushed his chair out so forcefully it almost fell over, and strode out the door pushing people out of his way; his ice-cream left un-touched on the table.  


* * *

Harry awoke early on Friday morning, so early in fact that the sun had only just come up and the birds where chirping away happily. Harry however, was not so lively. He groaned as he sat, and clutched his head while wishing for nothing more than to Avada Kedavra those bloody birds into oblivion. He dragged himself over to the window, and threw it wide open, knocking the birds unceremoniously from his window sill with a loud squawk, before closing it again and heading into the bathroom.  
He grabbed his toothbrush and toothpaste grumpily, and squeezed the tube of toothpaste. He jumped as something cold and sticky landed on his hand. He squinted down, his eyes still blurred from sleep, to find the toothpaste tube the wrong way around. Great, he thought sarcastically.  
Deciding it would be better to try this when he was properly awake; Harry ran the cold tap and splashed his face with icy water. Blinking water out of his eyes, he certainly felt more awake, and slightly guilty about the bird incident. 

After finishing in the bathroom, Harry crept back to his room, as so not to wake the sleeping Dursley’s, and got dressed into a bright red pair of skin-tight jeans, black t-shirt, black studded belt, black and white checked jacket, and his vans. He finished off with his eyeliner, and he jelled up the back of his hair, perfect.  
He turned to look at the repaired alarm clock on his bedside table to see it was ten past six. He groaned, six whole hours before he could set off to meet Ron and Hermione.  
Sitting himself down on his window sill, he lent his head against the window to wait until twelve o’clock.

*

Harry was pacing around his room, watching the clock as it settled tantalisingly on eleven-fifty-nine. Harry wasn’t overly sure why, but he was more nervous than he had ever been before, even more so than at his sorting. He felt sick to the stomach, and his mind was running in circles with all the dizzying thoughts of possible outcomes of his meeting with Ron and Hermione. It could either go well, and they like the way he looked just as he did. Or be completely freaked out and disown him and be totally and completely and utterly freaked out and never talk to me ever again, thought Harry hysterically. While Harry had been completely happy with the changes in himself and the prospect of seeing Ron and Hermione at first, it had only just started to settle in the enormity of what he had done. He looked nothing like he had done at the end of last term. He had a different hair style, no glasses, you couldn’t see his scar, his clothes where different, he was wearing eyeliner, he had 3 piercings’ and too top it all off a tattoo! Oh Bloody Hell!  
He could just picture it now, him walking into the Ice Cream Parlour, finding Ron and Hermione and them just leaving him with disgusted looks on their faces. He would shout after them to wait but they looked at him like a piece of dirt on their shoes and walked away. He just couldn’t deal with that.

The clock turned to twelve and Harry went into panic over-drive. His breathing quickened his hands where sweaty and his heart was pumping furiously. He sat down on the bed before his legs collapsed and he buried his face in his hands. Pull yourself together Harry! He told himself, sharply.   
He took a deep breath, and made up his mind; he grabbed his wand and money from his bedside table, stuffed them in his jacket pocket and strode from the room and down the stairs. The Dursley’s didn’t even flinch as the front door slammed behind their only nephew; they just continued to gawp blankly at the television.  
Outside in the street, Harry stuck his wand hand out over the road as he had not only 3 days ago.

Forty minutes later, Harry stood outside Florean Fortescue's Ice-cream Parlour taking deep breaths to try and steady his thumping heart. He was only about 5 minutes early, so he hoped that he wouldn’t have to wait for Ron and Hermione for long. He was surprised he hadn’t been sick yet as it was.  
He pushed open the parlour door to find the room buzzing with witches and wizards, all eating gigantic ice-creams and talking. Harry craned his neck to look for Ron and Hermione among the mass of people. As Ron had said, he spotted a tall and rather gangly red headed boy at the back of the shop near the window, sat with a smaller girl with a sizable degree of bushy brown hair. As he edged nearer, he heard caught a few words of what hey where saying.  
“I’m so excited!” Hermione gushed. “I can’t wait to see Harry. Are you sure he didn’t say anything else Ronald?” She was practically bouncing in her seat; very un-hermione-ish, in Harry’s opinion.  
“Merlin Hermione! He didn’t say anything else; he just said that I was going to get a shock when I see him. I hope he hasn’t grown taller than me. That would be embarrassing.” said Ron with a cringe.  
“Of course he hasn’t!” said Hermione, as though the very idea was ludicrous. “Harry is small, and he always will be.”  
“Hey I resent that!” said Harry.  
Hermione whipped round, saw Harry, gave a shriek of surprise, nearly fell off her chair and then launched herself at Harry, wrapping her legs around his waist in a bone-crushing hug. Meanwhile, Ron sat and gaped like a goldfish.  
Harry gave Hermione a kiss on the cheek and she pulled back to look at him.   
“Oh my goodness Harry!” said Hermione, her eyes shining. “If you weren’t my best friend I’d have you for myself!”  
“Hermione!” said Harry, shocked. She jumped down.  
“Let me have a better look at you.” She instructed, as she stepped back at arms length.  
Harry just laughed as Hermione scrutinized every inch of his body.   
“I like this.” said Hermione earnestly, coming in closer again and pointing at the piercing in his eyebrow.  
“Really?” said Harry, reaching up to touch his eyebrow. “I was so worried about what you would think I was nearly sick.”  
“What on earth for?” said Hermione laughing. “Did you think we would disown you at first sight?”  
“Well, yeah.” said Harry sheepishly. But Hermione just laughed at him again, and gave him another hug.  
“Never Harry”, she said. “Now come and have an ice-cream.” She pulled him around the back of their table and sat Harry down. There was a huge ice-cream sat on the table, covered in strawberry sauce and sprinkles. Harry only just realized how hungry he was, but he didn’t start to eat, as Ron was still staring at him.

“Are you okay Ron?” Harry asked softly.  
Ron jerked back to life and stammered. “Yeah, yeah. It’s just, well…fucking hell!”  
“Ronald!” Hermione shouted. “Watch your language.”  
“Yes Mum.” said Ron distractedly, still gawping at Harry who doubled up with laughter, while Hermione sniffed in a disapproving manner.  
“So,” said Harry, after his laughter had subsided. “What’s best then?”  
“I don’t know.” said Hermione slowly. “I really like the piercing but your hair is gorgeous too.”  
“Piercing?” asked Harry. “Don’t you mean piercings’ Hermione?” When Hermione continued to look confused Harry pointed to his eyebrow, lip and then pulled back his hair to show his ears. Hermione gasped.  
“It really, really suits you Harry.” She said seriously, nodding her head “Much improvement.”  
“Thanks.” said Harry grinning from ear to ear. “But I’m not hearing lil’ Ronnikins saying much.” He reached across the table and waved his hand in front of Ron’s face.  
“Wow!” said Ron suddenly, grabbing hold of Harry’s arm. “What’s that on your wrist?”  
Harry lent back into his seat when Ron let go of his arm, and pulled back his jacket sleeve. He turned up wrist face up and Ron said “WOW!” again.  
“Harry please tell me that isn’t real.” said Hermione sternly.  
“Can’t, because that would be lying Herms.” said Harry, his arm still out stretched to Ron, who was just gaping foolishly.  
“Did it hurt?” said Ron.  
“Like hell.” said Harry matter-of-factly, as he pulled his arm back and shook his sleeve to cover it again.  
“You’re crazy.” Hermione muttered.  
“Maybe.” said Harry, smirking.  
“It’s bloody awesome!” said Ron, who had finally stopped gawping. “What about the piercings’, did they hurt?”  
“Yeah, course they did. But no where near as much as my tattoo.” said Harry.  
“I totally get how you wound up the muggles now.” said Ron in a pleased tone.  
Harry laughed. “Oh that! You should’ve seen Dudley’s face when I said I could do his for him if he liked. What a picture!” Even Hermione laughed at that, forgetting her surly behaviour for a moment.

“Anyway,” said Ron, wiping tears from his eyes. “Mum said that you could come back to ours today if you like. Dad will take you back to the Dursley’s by side-along apparation to get your stuff and then you can come straight back with us. We said we would meet them at Fred and George’s shop at half three after we have got our stuff. Fred and George really want to see you. They want to know what wound the muggles up so bad.” Ron laughed. “I don’t know what Mum is going to think, but Ginny will be all over you so I’d keep a look out.”  
“I’d better then.” said Harry, with a shiver. “Oh Ron, do you wan to talk about your boy problems sooner or later?” he flashed an evil grin at Ron.  
“Later.” Ron hissed, and Hermione looked at them suspiciously.  
“I don’t want to know.” She said snootily.  
“Trust me.” said Harry. “You REALLY don’t.”  
“Your new look is making you evil.” Ron muttered to himself.  
“Oi!” said Harry, in indignation. “Don’t knock something before you’ve tried it. Being evil is fun.” Ron looked thoroughly shocked at Harry’s proclamation; he had obviously been expecting Harry to deny such a thing.  
“Whatever happened to the Gryffindor Golden Boy?” he asked, jokingly.   
“Oh shut up Ron, you know better than anyone that I hated that.” said Harry, folding his arms over his chest.  
“Yeah sorry mate.” said Ron. “And stop pouting you look like a...” he trailed off, with a sideways glance at Hermione.  
“A what?” said Harry annoyed, looking back and forth between the pair of them.  
“Nothing Harry.” said Hermione quietly, looking down at her empty ice-cream dish.  
“NO! Tell me what you were going to say.” Harry demanded, starting to get quite angry.  
“It doesn’t matter.” said Hermione, pleadingly, her eyes speaking to Harry, begging him to leave it be.  
There was pause, then, “Fine”, said Harry, angrily. He pushed his chair out so forcefully it almost fell over, and strode out the door pushing people out of his way; his ice-cream left un-touched on the table.

 

_Author's Note: 3rd chapter up! And somebody here noticed that yes, this story has been posted before. So enjoy getting back to where it left off, and then some more!_


	4. Chapter 4 - It's Not Your Fault

  
Author's notes: They hugged and Ron murmured. “I never said before, but it’s great to see you mate.”  
And as they pulled apart Harry smiled. “You too.”  


* * *

Harry only started to slow down when he was at least several streets away from the Ice cream Parlour where he had left Ron and Hermione. He was sure he had heard Hermione’s frantic voice calling after him as he left but he had been in such a fury that he hadn’t stopped to turn around.  
He finally stopped and slumped down a wall of one of the shops in Diagon Alley, his heart pounding. He couldn’t believe what had just happened. Everything had been going really well and then he just went and fucked it up; big style.  
He started kneading himself in the forehead with frustration. Why couldn’t he just have let it drop?   
Although Harry had demanded to know what Ron had meant; he knew perfectly well.  
Ron thought he was gay, and from the looks he gave Hermione, she thought so too.  
Just because his date with Cho Chang had been a disaster, it didn’t make him gay. He had actually liked her…at the time.  
Harry groaned in aggravation. He wasn’t even gay!  
He lifted his head suddenly, what was the point in sitting here? Ron and Hermione may be being a bit odd with him, but the other Weasley’s were around here somewhere. Getting up, Harry dusted himself down and set off in the direction of Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes. 

As it happened, it didn’t take him very long to find the joke shop. As he had been walking down the street, he spotted a large huddle of people around a shop. Coming nearer, Harry saw why. Every inch of the shop was covered in brightly covered posters, and the window display was nothing short of spectacular! There were fireworks, fizzing and spitting in every direction, bouncing off the glass. Gaping, Harry made his way over to the door and squeezed inside. The shop was jam packed, and Harry could barely breathe. He pushed and shoved his way to the back of the shop, not even stopping to apologise to people who were watching, where he had spotted Fred and George, giving demonstrations of their famous Canary Creams they had developed in Hogwarts last year. As he got nearer Harry caught on to what they were saying.  
“…and as you can see folks, the feathers do drop off after a few seconds. Any more questions?” asked either Fred or George, Harry couldn’t read their name tags, but he was sure that they had them on the wrong way round knowing them anyway.  
“No? Well that’s it for today. Have fun!” said the other. They both gave a bow, and the audience clapped and cheered. Harry shoved forward and said loudly in one of the twins’ ear. “Nice show guys.”  
They wheeled around, and like Ron they gaped at Harry.  
“So that’s how you wound up the Dursley’s.” said Fred (although his name tag said George), in awe.  
“Nice one!” said George. He pulled Harry into a manly hug, and smacked him on the back. “So, where is lil Ronnikins?” he asked peering around Harry.  
“Err, well, we had a bit of a fight.” Harry muttered.  
“Tut, tut, tut.” said Fred, waggling a finger at him. “What about?” he then added seriously.  
“Its nothing.” said Harry, looking at his shoes.  
“Oh come on Harry, you can tell us.” said George.  
“No really,” said Harry softly, and he was ashamed to feel hot tears leaking out of his eyes, but he bit them back. He was not going to cry over this! “It’s nothing.”  
Fred and George looked at him concernedly. “It’s obviously something if you’re fighting back tears mate.” said Fred, quietly.  
“I’m not upset, I’m just disappointed with him.” said Harry, sniffling slightly. “And Hermione.”  
“If you’re sure lil’ bro.” said George, bracingly although his face was still worried. “Whatever Ron said, it’s not your fault. He’s just pig-headed. So don’t bother too much about it.”  
“Yeah I’m fine.” said Harry, sniffing back all the tears and smiling at Fred and George. “So,” he said matter-of-factly. “What do you reckon?”  
“We like it.” said Fred and George together, as they grinned.

*

Harry completed the rest of his shopping alone that day. He never saw Ron or Hermione, not that he was looking, and he wondered if maybe he should find them and apologise for storming out like that, when now he thought about it, it really wasn’t that big a deal. He mentally cursed himself.  
Casting a quick spell, he realised he only had five minutes left before he had to meet the Weasley’s at Fred and George’s shop and he hurried off back the way he came.  
Upon entrance, he quickly spotted the gaggle of red heads off to the left side of the shop, and he swiftly made his way towards them. It was a lot easier now as the crowds had subsided somewhat without Fred and George giving demonstrations for the day.  
He paused just before he got to them, slightly unsure of what to say after his dramatics with Ron and Hermione earlier. He didn’t know what Ron had told Mrs Weasley about that or about his appearance yet.   
Just as he was starting to think it would’ve been better for him to just leave and spare himself some embarrassment, George spied him and yelled. “Oi! Harry mate, over here!” Harry wished he had made up his mind to go sooner, as every one of the Weasley’s family, who hadn’t already seen him, gawped just as Ron, Fred and George had done. Save for Ginny, who wolf-whistled at the same time.   
Shit, Harry thought to himself as he walked slowly over.

“Hey”, said Harry, trying not to meet Ron’s eyes as he drew level with the family.  
“Are they real piercings’ Harry?” asked Ginny eagerly, who was the first to get over her shock.  
“Yeah”, said Harry, grinning as he forgot his troubles for a moment.  
“He’s got a tattoo as well.” said Ron, happily. Harry was shocked; Ron never let things go that easily, but who was he to complain?  
“Really?” asked Ginny.  
“Yes”, said Harry, still looking at Ron strangely.  
“Oh sweet Merlin Harry dear!” said Mrs Weasley. “Why on earth?” she shook her head at him. “Well, other than the piercings’ and the tattoo dear, I think you look rather nice. Good to see you have some clothes that finally fit you at any rate.” She smiled sweetly at him. “Ron explained the plan to you didn’t he?” she asked, and Harry nodded.  
“Good”, she said briskly, “Shall we be off then?”   
All of the Weasley’s and Hermione murmured their agreement and set off, but Ron quickly grabbed Harry by the arm to keep him back.   
“Look, mate”, Ron started, looking deeply uncomfortable, “I’m really sorry about what I…almost said earlier. I didn’t think you would take it so personally and I was out of order, so can we forget it ever happened yeah?” he looked at Harry with pleading eyes, and Harry just forgot everything he had been feeling before and said “Yeah. I’m sorry too; for over-reacting and then getting all worked up and storming out. Then I didn’t come back and ignored Hermione. It’s not your fault and just, yeah, I’m sorry.”  
They hugged and Ron murmured. “I never said before, but it’s great to see you mate.”  
And as they pulled apart Harry smiled. “You too.”

 

_Author's Note: I know I'm updating this really quickly and everything, but I want to get it all up.  
hope this was ok for you!_


	5. Chapter 5 - Boys Will Be Boys

  
Author's notes: He watched as Ron walked away and grabbed Hermione, who gave a squeal, by the waist from behind and gave her a kiss on the cheek.  
He smiled sadly to himself, thinking: That’ll be me one day.  


* * *

Harry slowly woke up from his peaceful sleep, blinking several times and rubbing his emerald eyes, staring around the shockingly orange room for any sign of his best friend; he found none.  
Feeling slightly confused, Harry sat up and fumbled for his wand on the floor. He cast a quick spell to see it was eight-twenty-four. He frowned. Ron was never up this early; ever! He got up, stretched, and hitched up his black pyjama bottoms further up his slender hips. He crept slowly to the door of Ron’s room and eased it open. The hallway was deserted and silent, a feat which was near impossible at the busy Burrow.   
Scratching his head, Harry padded down the hallway peering into the open doorways to find the rooms inside empty as well. Now he was really confused.  
He walked softly down the first flight of stairs to find it as deserted as before. They could be outside, thought Harry, it is July after all. But Harry dismissed this thought after remembering that it was only eight-thirty, and that nobody except Mrs Weasley and maybe Hermione would be awake. All Weasley’s slept in, it was a known fact. 

At the bottom of the last flight of stairs, Harry would normally have heard Mrs Weasley bustling around the kitchen making breakfast, but today he heard nothing, not even the slightest whisper. Now starting to get worried, Harry slowly pushed the kitchen door open. Suddenly, he was covered in an explosion of coloured confetti and glitter, to a loud chorus of “Happy Birthday Harry!”   
Through the whirlwind of colours, Harry spotted Mr and Mrs Weasley, Bill, Charlie, Fred, George, Ginny, Remus, Tonks, Ron and Hermione, all wearing party hats and beaming at Harry who gaped openly at the sight of them.  
“W-what? How?” Harry stuttered.  
“You see mate, it’s really very simple.” said Ron, coming over, ginning and throwing his arm over Harry’s shoulder to steer him into the room. “We all got up early, put up decorations, called Remus and Tonks over, and then waited for you to wake up.”  
“B-but”, Harry stammered, staring around, “You did all this for me?” he said finally.  
“Of course we did”, said Fred. “We needed to test our latest party products.”  
Harry grinned at the twins. “So they worked then?”  
“Yup!” they said happily, looking around the confetti covered room.  
“Did you forget it was your birthday Harry?” asked Hermione, from his left.  
“Well, yeah”, said Harry, sheepishly.  
“Well that’s not on is it!” said Charlie, in mock-outrage. “Trust us Harry, you will never forget your birthday again with the party we are going to give you!”  
Harry grinned.  
“We’ve got a whole heap of presents for you Harry”, added Bill.  
“You’d better get dressed though mate”, said Ron, with a smirk.  
“Yeah, I’ll just, go now then”, said Harry awkwardly, backing out of the kitchen.  
“Don’t forget the piercing’s, Remus and Tonks haven’t seen them yet.” George hollered after Harry, who laughed as he heard Remus’ shouts of “What piercing’s?”

*

The Weasley’s had certainly lived up to their promise, thought Harry as he lent back in his chair. The day had been filled with Quidditch, presents, cake, fun and laughter; and now, sitting in the back garden after a muggle-style barbeque, Harry watched as Ron and Hermione slow danced to the music on the Wizarding Wireless Network. Harry couldn’t help but be hopeful, maybe Ron and Hermione would finally realize their feelings for each other, but after years of it being blindingly obvious to everyone else except the couple themselves, Harry didn’t think so somehow. Just then Ginny came and sat next to Harry, kicking off her high-heels and rubbing the sole of her foot.  
“Alright Ginny?” asked Harry.  
“Yeah”, said Ginny, slouching back like Harry, “But dancing in heels is not a good idea really.” They both chuckled softly.  
“Do you think they are ever going to notice?” asked Harry quietly, his eyes fixed on Ron and Hermione.   
Ginny followed his line of vision and sighed. “No.”  
“I figured the same”, Harry murmured.  
“We could always give them a little push”, said Ginny, grinning.   
Harry had never noticed until that very moment how much Ginny resembled the twins, in looks and in nature. He looked at Ginny for a while and then as she looked at him, expecting him to come up with a reply he said quickly “That would be a seriously bad plan to go wrong though.”   
Ginny made a humming noise and her brow furrowed. “If we just drop small hints though, it wouldn’t be as obvious”, she said.  
“Suppose”, said Harry, shrugging.  
They both went back to watching the dancing pair, who where now whispering in each others ears and giggling. Harry couldn’t help feel somewhat lonely at the sight.  
Suddenly, Ron and Hermione both turned to look at Harry and Ginny, who both quickly pretended to be deep in conversation. They kept this up for several minutes just to be certain, until they felt it was safe to look back, and they found Ron and Hermione drinking pumpkin juice on the grass, talking animatedly. 

Harry let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding, while Ginny burst into laughter.  
“What?” said Harry, starting to laugh as well; it was contagious.  
“They are so completely, totally, entirely and utterly oblivious!” said Ginny, in hysterics. “I thought Hermione was intelligent.” She was practically rolling around in her seat now. Harry shook his head at her, sadly, but grinning all the same.  
“I think you where right you know”, said Harry, after Ginny had calmed down somewhat, “I don’t think subtle hints are going to work. They wouldn’t grasp it if we spelt it out in black and fucking white and then wafted it in their faces.”   
At Harry’s statement Ginny went into another laughing fit, and Fred and George who were passing, stared at her like she was mad. But they didn’t seem to mind the insanity and came to join Harry and Ginny at their table anyway.  
“What’s with her?” asked George, jabbing his thumb at Ginny.  
“We were just talking about how oblivious Ron and Hermione are to the fact that they fancy the pants off each other”, said Harry conversationally.  
“Oh that”, they both said, in recognition. They both grinned; identically evil grins.  
“Don’t you go getting any ideas!” said Harry, in warning. “Ginny and I are going to have some fun this year trying to get them to figure it out.”   
He looked over at Ron and Hermione and muttered, “Dozy twats.”  
Fred, George and Ginny sniggered to themselves. “Anyway, I’m off to do some stirring”, said Harry, stretching, “I’ll see you later.”   
He walked off to mumbled bye’s and see you’s, and approached Ron and Hermione.  
As he drew nearer, he cleared his throat noisily, and when neither off them looked up, said loudly. “Hey Ron, do you want to talk about that boy problem now?”  
Ron’s head whipped up and his ears flushed scarlet. “No!” he hissed.  
“Are you sure?” said Harry, he unashamedly looked at Ron’s crotch, making sure Ron saw this gesture and then chocking his head, “I think we should.”  
Ron quickly put his hands in his lap, his whole face blushing bright red.  
“Hermione could you leave us be for a while, please?” Ron pleaded.  
Hermione shot them a funny look, but she departed huffily and went to join Ginny who now sat alone at the table.  
“What was that for?” Ron demanded angrily.  
“Just wanted to embarrass you for a bit”, said Harry, cheerily and plonking himself down cross legged on the grass in Hermione’s place.  
“Git”, Ron muttered.  
Harry laughed. “That’s no way to speak to your bestestest friend! …So, I’m here now; let’s talk.” Ron sat stonily, glaring at Harry.  
“What?” said Harry, jokily. “Fine, so I’ll talk while you sit in a mood”, he lent forwards on his elbows in a business like manner and continued more seriously. “So you get a hard-on every time Hermione comes near you.”  
“Not so fucking loud”, Ron hissed, dangerously.  
“I’m not being loud”, said Harry indignantly, sitting back again.  
“You where. But yeah that is the general problem”, Ron admitted.  
“Well no offence mate but I don’t see how I can help you with that”, said Harry with a laugh, “Unless you want me too…”  
“NO!” Ron shouted, pointing a threatening finger while Harry cackled. “I do NOT want you to help me out.”  
“Your loss”, said Harry, shrugging.   
“Whatever”, said Ron dismissively, “I want to know if you think Hermione feels the way.”  
“What, if she gets a hard-on too? I would’ve thought it’d be impossible considering Hermione’s gender”, said Harry in a mock thoughtful voice.  
Ron smacked him hard around the head. “Harry stop fucking around, I’m serious here.”  
Harry rubbed his head, “Yeah sorry mate. Right, seriously”, he set his face straight,  
“I think she feels the same.”  
“Really?” said Ron, wearily.  
“Yeah!” said Harry enthusiastically.  
“It’s just that I really, really like her but I don’t want to fuck it up by asking her out and ruining our friendship. I’d rather have that than nothing at all.” Ron hung his head sadly, wiping his eyes.  
“Hey”, said Harry, moving next to Ron and putting his arm around his shoulders, “You never know until you try mate”, he pulled on Ron’s shoulder for a brief one armed hug, “Give it a shot.”  
Ron sighed, “Thanks mate. I’m sorry for putting a damper on your sixteenth and all.”  
“You haven’t put a damper on it at all!” Harry exclaimed, taking his arm from Ron’s shoulder, “It’s been the best birthday ever!”  
“Good”, said Ron, “I’m going to find ‘Mione now. Want to come?”  
“Nah. I’ll go and talk to Remus for a bit. I haven’t seen him for ages.” said Harry, looking back towards the house where the adults were grouped together, talking.  
“Alright mate”, said Ron, getting up and clapping Harry on the back, “See you later.”  
“Yeah”, said Harry. He watched as Ron walked away and grabbed Hermione, who gave a squeal, by the waist from behind and gave her a kiss on the cheek.  
He smiled sadly to himself, thinking: That’ll be me one day.

 

_Author's Note: Sorry, I'm supposed to be doing a chapter a day, but I can't help myself! :)  
reviews? Please?_


	6. Chapter 6 - Does This Sound Familiar?

  
Author's notes: Tears sprung to his eyes before he could stop them, his breathing still heavy, he took a step back.  
“Guess you won’t be wanting me around anymore then.” He whispered.  
Harry turned on his heel and swept from the compartment.  


* * *

It had been the usual morning scramble at the Burrow with people, books, food, and odd socks flying in every possible direction. People were running up and down the stairs and banging into each other with bits of toast in their hands as Mrs Weasley shrieked hysterically when one of Fred and George’s fireworks managed to go off inside Ron’s trunk, singeing a hole in the lid. No matter how early Mrs Weasley came to wake everyone up, they always had to rush around looking for lost belongings that somehow managed to get scattered around every inch, nook and cranny of the Weasley’s house.

They had practically sprinted down the train station to catch the train on time, and now Harry and Ron were panting and leaning against a wall on platform nine and three quarters, waiting for the others and their breath to rejoin them.  
As Ginny and Mr and Mrs Weasley came hurtling out of the wall just next to them the whistle blew shrilly.  
“Oh, hurry.” Mrs Weasley squealed, hurrying over to the train. “Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Harry, be good, study hard, we will write to you soon.” She hugged each of them as she said their names and pressed some lumpy homemade sandwiches into their hands. “Harry you are coming to us for Christmas. We will see you soon. Keep out of trouble, especially you Harry. Good bye, we love you all”, she said hurriedly as the guards started to shut the train doors.  
Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Harry all ran to jump onto the train as it started to move. Ron jumped first, pulling Hermione on behind him and then grabbing Ginny’s hand. Harry took a leap after Ron, Hermione and Ginny had moved out of the way and landed inside the train door. He stuck his head back out to quickly wave to Mr and Mrs Weasley, the wind whipping his face, before the train rounded the corner, and they vanished from view.

After catching their breath, Ginny had set off to find her friends and Harry, Ron and Hermione set off to find an empty compartment, dragging their trunks (which had previously been shrunk by Mr Weasley so they would fit in their pockets) behind them. Eventually, they came across a compartment, which was occupied by Neville and Luna. Luna looked blearily up at them, her magazine upside down, and sporting her usual radish-like earrings.  
“Hello Ron, Hermione, Harry”, she said dreamily, “You look nice Harry, but why are your jeans so tight?”  
Harry blushed as Ron, Hermione and Neville laughed. “Err”, he started, looking down at his bright green jeans, “I like them like that.”  
“Hmmm. Your boxers are showing though, are they to big at the top?” said Luna, going back to her magazine.  
“No”, said Harry, feeling slightly put-out as Ron, Neville and Hermione laughed even harder. Luna smiled, absent-mindedly up at him.  
“I like it”, She stated.  
“Err, thanks”, said Harry, picking at a stud on his belt.  
“I wondered who it was at first”, said Neville, after controlling his laughter.  
“Yeah well”, said Harry, sitting down next to Luna and tucking his legs up.  
“Have a good summer then?” Ron asked Neville and Luna.  
“Yeah”, said Neville, grinning, “Gran has been gushing over me all summer about what happened in the department of mysteries. She says I’m finally living up to my name. I got a new wand too.” He pulled it out.  
“Cool”, said Ron. “What about you Luna?”  
“Well I’ve been at home mostly”, she said vaguely, “And I’ve been looking for Plimpies but didn’t find any. My dad was acting strangely”, she smiled, “It’s like hazy days, you know.”  
They all looked at her.   
“No not really”, said Hermione, stiffly. She hadn’t ever really seen eye-to-eye with Luna, and even now had difficultly keeping her opinions to herself.  
“I get you Luna”, said Harry, more to break the tension than anything.  
“Oh wow, lovely”, said Luna, smiling distractedly at Harry, who smiled back. He couldn’t help but like Luna, strange belief’s, radish earrings and all.  
“So, who do you reckon the new Defence against the dark arts teacher will be?” asked Neville suddenly, and the babble broke out.

*

“Well look who it is, Mudblood and Weasel”, said a cold, sneering voice.  
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville all whipped around, and Luna looked up sleepily.  
Draco Malfoy was stood in the compartment door, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle as always. Harry’s breathing hitched. Malfoy had certainly changed during the holidays; his hair which was usually slicked back was now free of gel, and cut in a way not so different from Harry’s, he had grown a few inches, and, as much as Harry hated to admit it, the tight jeans he was wearing flattered his figure very well. Not that Harry was looking of course.  
“Who’s this then?” said Malfoy suddenly, looking in Harry’s direction, and then…“Merlin, is that Potter?” said Malfoy, astounded, as he edged nearer to Harry.   
“Yeah”, said Harry, feeling quite pleaded with himself for some unknown reason.  
“Would’ve recognised those eyes anywhere”, Malfoy muttered, quietly.  
Harry’s heart was pounding. “You would, would you?” he murmured, just as softly.  
Malfoy seemed to jerk back into reality at that. “So what happened to specky four-eyes then?” he jeered.  
“Contacts”, said Harry smoothly. He really didn’t want a fight with Malfoy right now.  
Malfoy however, didn’t seem to be on the same lines, but the insults seemed very forced; there wasn’t as much venom as Harry has become accustomed to.   
“Trying to cover up your scar Potter? I would’ve thought you’d be flaunting it, trying to get more attention.”  
“No”, said Harry casually, “I don’t want attention.”  
Malfoy looked very put-out, but carried on anyway.   
“Still living with those muggles then?” Malfoy said, although not nastily, “Bet they weren’t too happy with your piercing’s were they?”  
Harry laughed. “No! You should’ve seen their faces when I got back, classic!”  
Malfoy laughed as well, much to everyone’s amazement. “Merlin, I’d pay money to see that. I’d try it with my father but he would probably Crucio the living daylights out of me!” he cringed slightly as he said it.

“Did it hurt then?” Malfoy continued, coming in and sitting opposite Harry, next to Neville who gaped overtly at the Slytherin.   
“Yeah. But not as much as this”, said Harry, and he turned his arm face up to show the jet black star on his wrist.   
Malfoy made a face and said “ouch.”  
“Yeah”, said Harry, “But it stops hurting eventually. I might get another one.”  
“Well good luck to you Potter”, said Malfoy, his eyebrows raised, “The only tattoo I’d ever get with my father’s permission is the Dark Mark and I’d rather have nothing thank you very much.” He pulled a face of pure distaste as he got up and went back to the compartment door.  
“So you don’t want to be a Death Eater then?” said Harry shocked.  
“What? No!” said Malfoy, shocked, “Just because I’m a Slytherin Potter, it doesn’t mean I’m a Death Eater in training.”  
“I know that”, said Harry quickly, “The sorting hat wanted to put me in Slytherin too. It was more your father I was thinking of.”  
“I’m not him”, said Malfoy, “Where you seriously nearly put in Slytherin?”   
“Yeah”, said Harry, “But I asked to be in Gryffindor so it put me there instead.”  
Malfoy gaped at him. “I’d never have thought of you Potter.”  
“Yeah well”, said Harry with a smirk.  
Malfoy stared. “That smirk and the new look does make it more believable actually. Don’t smirk again, Gryffindor’s don’t smirk”  
Harry laughed. “You’re just jealous because it’s better than yours.”  
“In your dreams Potter”, he said with a chuckle, as he backed out the compartment and walked off down the corridor, “See you round”, he yelled.

Laughing, Harry turned back to look at every one else in the compartment. They were all staring at him; even Luna had put down her magazine.  
“What?” Harry demanded, after what felt like a lifetime of silence.  
“You just sat and had a conversation with bloody fucking ferret face!” hollered Ron, “What’s wrong with you?”  
“Nothing’s wrong with me”, said Harry, angrily, “I just didn’t want a fight.”  
“You were laughing with the git!” shouted Ron.  
“Well what’s the point in arguing? It never gets us anywhere”, said Harry, heatedly, “Just because I had a civil conversation with him doesn’t mean we are friends. Get a grip Ron.”  
“Get a grip?” Ron yelled, his face bright red, “That’s rich coming from you!”  
“It’s not me who is shouting like a fucking idiot about something that is actually good!” Harry yelled back, “Do you want a fucking fight or something?”  
“I’d rather be having a fight with bloody Malfoy than with you!” Ron bellowed.  
“You don’t have to be fighting with me! If you weren’t being such an immature prat then we wouldn’t be!” Harry roared, standing up.  
“So I’m an immature prat now then?” Ron shouted, standing up as well.  
“Yeah, you are!” Harry shouted back.  
“Well I’d rather be that than a Slytherin like you!” Ron roared, poking a finger in Harry’s chest.

Ron’s comment hit Harry like a punch in the gut. He felt as though Ron had gone and tore his heart out of his chest, thrown it on the floor and stamped on it. How could Ron say that to him, after everything they had been through together?  
Tears sprung to his eyes before he could stop them, his breathing still heavy, he took a step back.  
“Guess you won’t be wanting me around anymore then.” He whispered.  
Harry turned on his heel and swept from the compartment.

 

_Author's Note: I actually had to restrain myself from posting this earlier. I'm doing one a day now, I promise._  
:)  
Hope this is okay and has hopefully thrown a spanner in the works! That should make things more interesting.  
Review? 


	7. Chapter 7 - One Fine Wire

  
Author's notes: So I’m not as alone as I thought.  
He looked down at the picture, and placed it back into his trunk without another look.  


* * *

Harry was starving; but he just couldn’t eat. The food looked as delectable as usual at Hogwarts’ feasts, anything lower would be unacceptable to the house elves who happily served it year after year. The Gryffindor’s were all digging in with the normal enthusiasm, grabbing chicken, potatoes, peas, carrots, gravy, and anything else that happened to take their fancy, then washing it down with goblets of pumpkin juice. They chattered, laughed and joked around with their friends, discussing the holidays and what they were looking forward to this year.

But Harry just couldn’t. He was still distraught about his argument earlier on the Hogwarts Express, and couldn’t bring himself to talk to anyone. He sat in between Dean Thomas and Lavender Brown, who were each nattering away to Seamus Finnigan and Parvati Patil. Although Ron and Harry had had a fallout in forth year, it was no where near as bad as this. He felt betrayed, hurt, and physically sick to the stomach. It was horrific. Never in a million years did Harry believe Ron would’ve reacted like he had, wasn’t it him who was always yelling about how awful Malfoy was? And Harry managed to have a normal conversation without wands or fists being drawn, so he should’ve been relived right? Well, that’s what Harry thought.

Harry stared at his plate, which was completely empty, and had been throughout the whole feast. He was thirsty too, but he didn’t get a drink. He just sat as his mind ran away with itself, thinking. At least I had Hermione with me last time, thought Harry bitterly. Now who have I got?   
He didn’t even need to look over at Ron to know he was probably chatting away just like everyone else and stuffing his face with food – a thought that would’ve once made Harry laugh, but now he just felt sick. He screwed up his eyes, crossing his arms over his stomach and leaning forward over the table. His fists clenched as he groaned.  
“You all right Harry?” asked Lavender, looking over concernedly.  
Harry shook his head, “I think I’m guna’ hurl”, he said faintly.  
“Did you eat something funny?” she asked, rubbing soothing circles on his back.  
“It’s not that”, said Harry, taking deep breaths, “Me and Ron had a major fall out and just the thought of it is making me sick.”  
“Must have been bad”, said Lavender, sympathetically, “But you’ll work it out, you always do.”   
Harry shook his head sadly, “I think it’s for good this time”, he looked over at Ron, who was glaring in his direction, a look of pure loathing on his face.  
“Shit”, muttered Lavender, seeing the look Ron was giving Harry.  
“Yeah”, said Harry. He suddenly retched, but because he hadn’t eaten anything all day, nothing came up. Lavender squealed, pulling her hand back.  
“S’ok, I haven’t eaten anything so I won’t be sick”, said Harry, shakily.  
“I think you’d better go to the hospital wing”, she said, rubbing his back again.

“I’m just going to take Harry to the hospital wing”, she told Parvati, who nodded and carried on eating. She got up and when Harry had risen too, she lead Harry too the door that lead to the entrance hall, and she beaconed Professor McGonagall over.  
“What’s the problem Miss Brown?” asked Professor McGonagall, sharply.  
“I’m just taking Harry to the hospital wing, he’s not so good.” As she said this, Harry gave another dry heave, and he clutched his stomach.  
“Goodness! Is it you Mr Potter?” exclaimed Professor McGonagall.  
“Yeah”, Harry groaned.  
“Well, I have to say you look rather nice, shame your in such a bad way for the feast. You had better take him along Miss Brown.”  
“Yes Professor”, said Lavender, leading Harry away.

Before Lavender got him to the hospital wing she asked Harry. “So what happened then, it must have been pretty bad to make you sick”, She placed a hand on his arm, “Want to talk about it?”  
Harry suddenly felt frightened. How could he tell Lavender he was supposed to be put in Slytherin, would she look at him with that same look of disgust he had always feared? His breathing quickened before he even had time to think, his palms were sweating and his whole body was trembling. The whole of Gryffindor would disown him. He would be an outcast, back to the way it was before Hogwarts, when he was a ‘useless freak’. Lavender retracted her hand from Harry’s arm, after feeling him shake and shiver uncontrollably. “Harry?” she shouted, worry forming on every inch of her face. He didn’t respond and he started twisting his hands together feverishly. “I’m going to get Madam Pomfrey”, she said as she ran off down the hall.  
Harry slid down the nearest wall, after his legs collapsed from the quivering, and he put his head in a shaking hand.

Later on in the hospital wing, Harry sat on a bed covered with white linen sheets as Madam Pomfrey sat talking to him.  
“Well Mr Potter, from the tests I performed on you and from Miss Brown’s description, it sounds as though you have just suffered a fairly bad panic attack”, she said, grimly, “Do you know what could’ve brought this on?”  
Harry nodded weakly, and put his head in his hands.  
“Would you care to elaborate Mr Potter”, Madam Pomfrey instructed.  
“Well, me and Ron had the most enormous fall out and I was feeling sick before”, Harry began in a small voice, “And Lavender asked what it was we were fighting about, I well…I panicked because I didn’t want to tell her in case the same thing happened again and she disowned me too”, his hands quavered again as he talked,  
“Its not really something I want people knowing.”  
“Ok”, said Madam Pomfrey, looking at Harry in a puzzled way, “I can see this isn’t something you want to be questioned about, but Mr Potter”, Harry looked up, “Try not to get so down, I’m sure you have more than one friend, am I right?”  
Harry looked thoroughly distressed now, “I do, but they all hate me as well.”  
She sighed, “No body hates you.”  
Harry snorted, “That’s what you think. I’m a worthless freak.”  
“Who on earth told you that!”   
“I don’t want to talk about it thanks”, said Harry bitterly.  
“I think you need to”, said Madam Pomfrey, sternly. “You can’t keep things bottled up like you do.”  
“Look”, said Harry, beginning to get slightly agitated, “I’m fine, can I please just go?”  
“Fine”, said Madam Pomfrey, shortly, “But I think you could do with some rest.”  
“I’ll go straight to bed, I promise”, said Harry wearily as he made to leave. He had had far too many visits to the hospital wing and knew the drill off by heart.  
“Goodnight Mr Potter”, said Madam Pomfrey in amusement.  
“Bye”, Harry called over his shoulder.

By the time Harry had got back to Gryffindor tower and through the portrait hole, the whole of Gryffindor house had finished eating and tramped upstairs to the common room, leaving Harry no room to avoid questions, no matter how hard he tried.  
Every time someone asked him what had happened, his only reply was “I’m fine”, as he pushed through the jostling people towards the boys dormitories.  
Climbing the stairs and pushing open the door, Harry walked straight over to his bed and plopped down onto it. He opened his trunk which was at his feet and pulled out a picture in a golden frame. He sat and looked at the picture, feeling tears spring to his eyes for about the hundredth time this summer, he wiped them impatiently away. The picture was a wizarding photograph so the picture was moving, he smiled at it slightly. The picture had been taken during Harry’s third year at Hogwarts (curtsey of Colin Creevey) and showed three people, all grinning broadly, their arms round each other. There was a girl with bushy brown hair and rather large front teeth, she was clutching a book in one arm, her other around a small boy with glasses and black hair that stuck up a lot, all though that might’ve been from a tall gangly boy with ginger hair and freckles, who had just ruffled his hair playfully, beaming and his friend smacked him playfully on the arm. They then wrapped their arms round each other’s shoulder’s as the girl shook her head at them, but smiling all the same.  
Harry wiped his eyes again, and put the picture down on his lap.

“Harry?” said a tentative voice from the bed opposite him.  
Harry jumped, staring over at the bed. Neville Longbottom was sat on it, half covered in shadow.   
“Are you ok?” he asked quietly, coming and sitting next to Harry.  
Harry just shook his head sadly.  
“Can I look?” said Neville, pointing at the picture on Harry’s lap.  
Harry nodded, and handed Neville the picture. He watched as Neville smiled.  
“What happened at the feast Harry? I saw you retch and then Lavender took you out.”  
“I felt sick, so she took me to the hospital wing but I had a panic attack before we even got there”, said Harry quietly, picking at his bed cover.  
Neville looked at him worriedly, “You can hang around with me and Luna for now yeah? We think you were right, Ron was out of order.”  
“Thanks Neville”, said Harry.  
“No problem”, said Neville quietly, “I’ll just leave you to your thoughts.” He gave Harry a gentle rub on the shoulder and wandered back over to his bed, and closed the hangings around him. He looked at Neville’s bed.  
So I’m not as alone as I thought.  
He looked down at the picture, and placed it back into his trunk without another look.

 

 

_Author's Note: Sooooo....hope that was alright for you._  
:)  
I give cookies to reviewers! 


	8. Chapter 8 - Crazy

  
Author's notes: They sat in a slightly awkward silence, each to their own thoughts. Harry’s where somewhere along the lines of, ‘I’m fucking crazy’  


* * *

He was on the Hogwarts Express, just like he had been that very morning and everything went exactly the same until Malfoy came in. He walked up to Harry very slowly, and suddenly they were alone.  
The compartment dissolved into a huge bed room, with deep green velvet curtains, dark walls, cream carpet, and a huge four-poster bed. The only light came from torches in brackets on the walls, setting a warm glow around the walls. Harry’s heart started beating faster as Malfoy gradually came up to him. He came so close that they were almost chest to chest, and Harry was surprised Malfoy couldn’t feel his heart beating. He ran his hands down Harry’s chest, making his breathing hitch. Malfoy wrapped his slender arms over Harry’s shoulder whispering seductive things into his ear that made Harry weak at the knees; Malfoy’s breath was light and hot, and he slowly brought his arms around Harry and slid them up his shirt. His skin was soft and smooth as silk as his finger pads traced further and further up Harry’s back and shoulders, making him shiver, and everywhere he touched sent tiny shocks through his skin like electric, sending all the blood in his body rushing to his groin making the pressure build painfully.   
Looking up, he saw Malfoy looking at him with those beautiful silver eyes which where clouded with lust as his gaze dropped to Harry’s mouth, his lips parting slightly. Harry’s mouth felt dry and he licked his lips. How Harry wanted to feel those soft, pink lips on his, whispering sweet nothingness and kissing him gently. Malfoy’s hands left their place on Harry’s back, dragging down sensually and coming around his front, just skimming the waist band of Harry’s jeans making him whimper, until came round to cup his face. Malfoy ran a soft finger gently over Harry’s mouth. Harry’s heart was pounding, thumping, beating a hundred miles per hour as Malfoy lent towards him, pressing ever closer. His stomach fluttered like butterflies and he could suddenly feel Malfoy’s erection pressing into his own making him and Malfoy groan, he could see Malfoy’s pale lashes fluttering shut as he got closer, close enough to kiss. His lips where a millimetre from touching Malfoy’s, their noses touching, eyes closing, waiting for the touch of silky skin on skin, then…

Harry woke up, sweating and his heart thumping madly.  
He sat up, rubbing his face roughly, his hands quivering. He felt distinctly hot around the collar – at had all felt so real. Wrenching open the hangings from around his bed, he stood up, his dick was painfully hard, harder than he had ever been in his life. At least something was real, Harry thought almost bitterly, but what on earth was that dream all about? I don’t even like Malfoy!  
Maybe I’m crazy! No, it’s all the hormones and stuff.  
He padded to the bathroom quickly to get himself a glass of cold water, and maybe a freezing shower as well.

*

Harry went down to breakfast with Neville, who had waited for him in the Gryffindor common room. Ron had already left when Harry had awoken.  
Upon entering the Great Hall, Harry looked over at the Slytherin table searching for Draco Malfoy who he found, sitting with Crabbe and Goyle while eating pancakes and talking spiritedly. He felt a tightening in the pit of his stomach as Malfoy looked up and his eyes met Harry’s. Harry felt the heat rushing to his cheeks and Malfoy blushed and looked away. Neville poked him in the ribs and Harry started. “What?”  
“You were staring”, said Neville.  
“Sorry”, Harry mumbled, looking away from Malfoy.  
“It’s ok. Me and Luna normally take some toast from breakfast and eat it somewhere less noisy. You coming?” asked Neville, cheerily.  
“Yeah sure”, said Harry, as he and Neville grabbed some toast from a plate at the Gryffindor table. Harry noticed Ron wasn’t there, but didn’t say anything. He didn’t miss Ron; or that’s what Harry told himself.  
He followed Neville until they came to a door, “After you”, said Neville.  
Harry shot Neville a strange look but made to open the door anyway; as he did Neville suddenly pushed him through and slammed the door quickly.  
“What the!” said Harry, pounding on the door, “Neville what the fuck are you doing?”  
“He’s helping you”, said a dreamy voice Harry recognised as Luna’s.   
“By locking me in a cupboard!” shouted Harry.  
“With Ron”, said Neville, gleefully.  
Harry whipped around and sure enough, Ron sat on the floor, his lanky arms and legs crossed as he picked at his shoe.  
“You fucking moron Neville!” Harry hollered, “You do realize that one of us will be dead by the time you get back!”  
“It’s been two weeks Harry, I think its time you sorted it out”, said Neville.  
“I think you’ll be quite alright”, added Luna, dreamily.   
“He’ll fucking Avada Kedavra my bollocks off!” Harry screeched.  
“Oh wow, lovely, but that won’t happen. You see we took your wands”, said Luna.  
Harry felt his jeans pocket; it was empty. “You complete and utter twats!” Harry yelled, kicking the door, “Unlock the door!”  
“Maybe later”, said Luna, giggling, “We will see you in a bit.”  
He heard two sets of footsteps growing distant as he pressed his ear to the door. Harry let out a growl of frustration, smacking his head hard against it.  
“No point mate. I’ve been here an hour already”, said Ron, wearily.  
“I’m not your mate”, said Harry sourly. He wasn’t upset with Ron anymore, now he was just livid! How dare he disown him after finding out he should’ve been in Slytherin. What ever happened to ‘we’ll stick by you no matter what’? It went out the fucking window that’s what, thought Harry, glaring at Ron with as much distaste as Malfoy had once done.  
Ron looked at him sadly, and went back to picking at his shoe.

“I’m sorry”, Ron whispered, so quietly Harry wasn’t sure if he imagined it.   
He looked at Ron, searching for any sign that it was him that said it and not his imagination. Ron looked up to find Harry looking at him.   
“Yeah it was me that said that”, he said, as though he had read Harry’s mind.  
“Well save it”, said Harry angrily, turning on his heel and sitting in the furthest possible corner from Ron.  
“Remember when we hide in here when we were running from Filch in third year?” asked Ron, chuckling.  
“No”, said Harry grumpily. He was lying though, of course he remembered. He and Ron had sneaked down to the kitchens without the invisibility cloak for a dare, but had knocked a suit of armour over after they had started play fighting over the last donut. Filch had heard the clatter and they basically just legged it and ended up hiding in this very broom cupboard. It had been funny at the time, but now it just brought back bad memories of being in his cupboard, and of the fact that those happy time where now in the past.  
“You must do”, Ron pushed, “We were running from Filch after we knocked that suit of armour over, and…”  
“Yes I remember”, Harry spat, “It’s all in the past Ron so just let it fucking go.”  
Ron looked hurt, and he hung his head. “Look Harry, I know I’ve fucked up utterly, and I’ve never felt so bad in my life, and Hermione keeps going on at me to apologise”, He grinned, but Harry was far from impressed.  
“So that’s the real reason you did it; to get Hermione off your back!” Harry shouted, “You don’t really give a flying fuck. You think you feel bad, but you haven’t got a clue!”  
Ron looked like he was going to interrupt so Harry carried on, taking a deep breath.  
“That day was the worst day of my life! And coming from me who has had a murderous lunatic after me for my whole life it’s pretty fucking bad! I spent the whole day being sick, and in the end I was dry heaving because I had nothing left in my freaking stomach! Just thinking about what you said made me vomit Ron, and you think you feel bad!” he was panting by the time he had finished, and Ron was gaping at him.  
“Is that where you went at the feast? The hospital wing?” asked Ron, softly.  
“Yeah!” Harry screamed. “But only I didn’t make it in one fucking go because I had a panic attack along the way!” He gripped his hair with his hands, “You have NO IDEA HOW I FELT.”  
He slumped further down the dusty wall, out of breath and out of fight. “It felt like you had punched, kicked and stabbed me in the stomach and left me there bleeding on the floor Ron. That’s how bad I felt”, he whispered as he turned his back on Ron and lent his head against the wall, “You’ve not a fucking clue.”  
Ron just sat, looking helpless and pathetic, “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do to make it better Harry”, he said, sadly “If I could go back and do over again then I would, but I can’t and I’m sorry.”  
Harry turned back to him, “Just take it back”, he whispered, “Take back what you said.”  
He looked stunned. “I-I”, Ron stammered.  
“Don’t lie either Ron. If you can’t take it back then fine, but I’ll want nothing else to do with you.”  
“I didn’t mean what I said Harry”, Ron sighed.  
“Just take it back”, Harry murmured.  
“You’re not a Slytherin Harry, and I’d never want to be an immature prat over being like you”, Ron snorted, “I can’t believe I even said that to you. What a fucking plank.”  
“You can be”, Harry said, quietly, “If you want to be back on speaking terms then that’s ok with me, but I haven’t forgiven you yet Ron.”  
“Alright”, said Ron, softy.  
They sat in a slightly awkward silence, each to their own thoughts. Harry’s where somewhere along the lines of, ‘I’m fucking crazy’

 

_Author's Note: Hmmmm, things are getting a bit weird now hey?_  
Hope this was okay, as I am aware I am slowly killing some people with my cliffies.  
Sorry...ish.  
Review? 


	9. Chapter 9 - Realize

  
Author's notes: “Spit it out”, said Draco, uneasily.  
“Have you been having any – err - strange dreams?” asked Harry, awkwardly.  
Draco paled until he was almost chalk white, “Err, well you see I have actually but it’s…complicated. I can’t talk to you about it.” He made to leave but Harry grabbed his hand.  
“Do these dreams involve me?” he asked nervously.  


* * *

**Disclaimer: I'm not JKR unfortunately, I just use her characters because I can't be arsed to make up my own.**

 

The next week found Harry having the same rather disturbing dreams about Malfoy. And if he was honest, the dreams scared him. Every night the dream would go further and further, and tonight’s dream was going to be big!   
Harry had never really thought about having sex, never in his life, and the thought of doing it with Draco Malfoy of all people terrified him. He knew that it was just a dream, but they were so real that Harry sometimes wondered if they where; and with Malfoy shooting him ‘that look’ from the Slytherin table and then blushing furiously suggested to Harry that either Malfoy was having these dreams too, or he knew about Harry’s. He found himself looking at Malfoy more and more everyday, and he sometimes caught Malfoy looking at him. He didn’t know what was going on.  
Hermione (who he was now speaking with) noticed of course, and she asked Harry if there was anything he would like to tell her. He wanted to, but he couldn’t. It just wasn’t something Hermione would either know about or WANT to know about.  
Harry could imagine it now – “Do you want to tell me something Harry?”  
“Yeah, I keep having these dreams where me and Malfoy are having sex.”  
Harry shuddered at the thought; he was not going to tell Hermione. Or anyone else for that matter, this was something he needed to keep to himself…  
Unless Draco knew too.

*

The next morning before Potions class, Harry located Draco Malfoy in the corridor, surrounded by the usual cronies Crabbe and Goyle. He sneaked up behind Draco and prodded him in the back. Draco jumped, and whipped round to look at Harry, who was twisting his hands together nervously.  
“Harry. What are you doing?” he hissed, pulling Harry away by the arm into an empty classroom to their left.  
“Well, I wanted to ask you something”, he began nervously.  
“So ask damn it”, said Draco, looking over his shoulder anxiously.  
“Erm, this might sound strange, and it is really”, said Harry, babbling, “And if you don’t know what I’m talking about then I’ll just go, and well -”  
“Spit it out”, said Draco, uneasily.  
“Have you been having any – err - strange dreams?” asked Harry, awkwardly.  
Draco paled until he was almost chalk white, “Err, well you see I have actually but it’s…complicated. I can’t talk to you about it.” He made to leave but Harry grabbed his hand.  
“Do these dreams involve me?” he asked nervously.  
“I can’t say”, said Draco, starting to get frantic.  
“No please, because I think I’ve been having the same dreams”, said Harry pleadingly, “And they scare me, I need to know.”  
Draco breathed in deeply, trying to restore that infallible Malfoy mask; it didn’t work. He looked worried and scared, exactly as Harry was sure he did. “Yes”, he whispered.  
“O-ok”, stammered Harry, his breathing getting a bit panicked, “An-and what exactly h-happens in these dreams?”   
“Fuck Harry! Do you really want to know!” said Draco hysterically, waving his hands around in agitation.  
“Yes! I do. Please tell me Draco!” said Harry, gripping Draco’s hand.  
“We’re fucking! Ok!” Draco near shouted. He wrenched his hand out of Harry’s grasp, and turned his back on him. Harry gaped for a while, staring at Draco’s back.

He walked a few paces forward and put his hand on Draco’s shoulder.  
Draco flinched, but didn’t move away; Harry took this as a good sign.  
“Look, Draco. I know your scared and everything but, I’ve been having these dreams too and I’m scared as well. It’s alright to be scared”, He said soothingly, but Draco whipped back around.  
“I’m not scared!” he said, as though the very thought was ridiculous.   
Harry just looked at the floor, but looked up as the felt Draco move very close to him.  
“I’m not scared Harry. I’m just annoyed that it’s all a dream”, he whispered.  
Harry swallowed hard; Draco’s lips were only inches from his own. Would they feel as soft as he had imagined?  
Draco moved his hands up to cup Harry’s face. “You have no idea how much I want you right now.”   
“Have me then”, Harry murmured.

Draco slowly lent towards Harry, and their lips touched. The kiss was slow and gentle, and Draco didn’t push to hard on Harry. They pulled away.  
Harry smiled. He grabbed Draco by the back of the head and pulled him in for another kiss. It was hard and frantic, and Draco pulled Harry flush up against him by his hips.  
They both groaned. Harry opened his mouth and Draco pushed his tongue inside, he ran it over Harry’s teeth and the roof of his mouth. Harry’s mind was spinning as Draco’s hand came to his front and started unbuttoning his robes. They fell to the dusty classroom floor and Malfoy started unbuttoning his shirt too. Harry did the same frantically, desperately wanting to feel more flesh on flesh. As they got the last button undone at the same time, they ripped each others shirts of their shoulders and pressed against each other. Harry moaned in pleasure at feeling Draco’s soft, pale skin completely up against his own tanned chest and he wrapped his arms around the Slytherin’s back.

He was melting as Draco moved his hands to the waistband of Harry’s trousers, playing with the elastic as he moaned into Harry’s mouth. In desperate need for air, Harry pulled away from Draco, but proceeded to kiss and suck on Draco’s neck, making Draco buck his hips against him. Draco’s hand moved lower to cup Harry’s painfully hard erection through his trousers and Harry gasped, leaving Draco’s neck but kissing back on the mouth again.  
He could feel Draco’s own erection pressing into his leg and he stroked it lightly making Draco whimper. It was the best sound he had ever heard, and it excited him to know it was him doing this to Draco that was making that sound. He ground his hips against Draco, making him shout “Fucking hell!”

He covered Draco’s mouth again with his own, and thrusting his tongue in to explore Draco’s mouth. It was hot and wet, and Harry’s slid his tongue along pearly teeth before nipping on Draco’s bottom lip. Draco moaned, pushing Harry backwards until he hit the classroom wall. The stone was rough against his back, but he didn’t care; all he wanted was Draco kissing and touching him in all the right places. 

Suddenly, they heard voices outside the door, and they stopped abruptly.  
Draco ran to retrieve their clothes and pulled Harry under a table, throwing his shirt to him. They dressed quickly and silently, listening to the voices.  
Eventually, the voices died with the sound of retreating footsteps.  
“Fuck”, Harry panted.  
“We’d better go”, gasped Draco.  
“Yeah”, agreed Harry. He got up from under the table and pulled Draco up with him. They got to the door, hand in hand, and Harry stuck his head out. He pulled Draco with him, and just as they got to the classroom door let go of Draco’s hand.  
They walked inside, trying to look calm, as Professor Snape came swooping down upon them like a giant bat.  
“Mr Malfoy, Mr Potter”, he said, “Where have you been?”   
Harry started to panic. “Err…” he started, but Draco had a better plan.  
“Sorry Sir, me and Potter had a job to do for the new Dark Arts Professor. It was not fun believe me”, He threw Harry a look of disgust, “Sorry for being late.”  
“Ok Mr Malfoy”, Snape said eventually, after looking at Draco for a while, “Go and sit down.”  
Draco walked off in the opposite direction from Harry, next to Crabbe and Goyle. Harry made his way over to Ron and Hermione and sat down in the seat they had saved for him.  
“You look a bit ruffled mate. Did you have a bit of a fight?” asked Ron.  
“Errr, yeah, something like that”, said Harry, looking over at Draco, who winked him. Harry gave a small smile back, before turning to Ron.  
“So, what are we making?”

*

The rest of the lesson went extremely slowly, and Hermione kept giving Harry calculating looks that he didn’t like one bit. Just as they were walking out of lesson, Draco bumped into Harry.  
“Look where your going Potter”, He spat. As he turned to leave he pushed a crumpled piece of paper into Harry’s hand. Harry stared at him as Draco left.  
Harry rushed off, telling Ron he needed to use the bathroom. He sat down on one of the toilet seats to read the note Draco had given to him.  
It read:

_Harry,_  
Room of Requirement.   
12 o’clock tonight.  
Bring your invisibility cloak.  
Don’t bring Weasley or Granger. I don’t think they’d appreciate the sight of you and me with our hands in each other’s boxers.  
Draco. 

Harry grinned. So he was Harry now then?  
Tucking the note into his trouser pocket, he suddenly realised – I just kissed Draco Malfoy?!

 

_Author's Note: Huzzah! Some action at last, hope that kept you interested!_  
;)  
Reviews? 


	10. Chapter 10 - I'll Be Your Crying Shoulder

  
Author's notes: “Come on Harry. You know I love you whatever you choose to do. Anything at all, tell your big sister.”   
Harry smiled at this; Hermione really was like his big sister, she protected him, looked out for him, and he could tell her just about anything. The way she was looking at him with such conviction, made Harry realize he wasn’t on his own; he really could tell Hermione.  


* * *

Harry retched. He couldn’t believe what had just happened; today’s events had just turned his entire life upside down, not that it hadn’t been a rocky road anyway.   
This summer had consisted of nothing but dizzying highs, and sickening lows, and the crazy middles where Harry often questioned his own sanity. He made a list in his mind of all the events of the past two months:  
 _Getting his new look – High.  
Meeting Harriet – High.   
Before meeting Ron and Hermione – Low.   
Meeting Ron and Hermione – High.   
Ron’s comment – Low.   
Making up with Ron – Middle.   
The Burrow and his party – High.   
On the Train talking to Draco – Middle.   
Ron’s argument – Low.   
Panic Attack at the feast – Low.   
Weeks after the argument – Low.   
Locked in the broom cupboard with Ron – Middle.   
The Dreams – Middle.   
Kissing Draco – Very High._  
He closed his eyes and retched again, praying that it would stop.   
_And Night Now – Very Low._

He had been in the bathroom of the boys’ dormitory for over an hour now, leaning over the porcelain toilet and throwing up nothing but water, while Ron rubbed his back comfortingly. He hadn’t told Ron what was up, and came up with the simple but effective excuse of “I ate something funny.” And Ron, being as trusting as he was, swallowed it right up and had been sat on the cold, hard bathroom floor with Harry ever since.  
“Easy mate”, said Ron softly, as Harry retched yet again.  
“Fucking hell”, said Harry weakly, resting his elbow on the toilet seat and putting his head in a shaking hand.  
“Maybe you should see Madam Pomfrey”, a concerned Ron said.  
“No”, said Harry wearily, “I’ve already been once this year.” He retched again and Ron rubbed his back, helping Harry. “Besides it’ll pass.” He wiped his mouth on his sleeve.  
Ron shook his head resignedly. “We’ve been here nearly two hours mate, and it’s clearly not getting better. You’ve been throwing up non stop.”  
Harry lurched forward over the toilet, but clamped his mouth shut and was not sick.   
He swallowed. “I’ll be fine if you want to go to dinner Ron.”  
“I can’t leave you vomiting like this!” Ron exclaimed, although he did look tempted.  
“Tell you what”, said Ron, as Harry retched again, “I’ll get Hermione to stay with you for the first half of dinner and then I’ll come back and swap with her. That sound alright?” He massaged Harry’s back.  
“Sure”, said Harry, faintly. He was very pale.  
“I’ll be back in a second”, said Ron, getting up and walking to the door, “Want me to get you anything?”  
“Glass of water please”, said Harry, his head still over the toilet bowl.  
“Ok”, said Ron, turning and leaving the room. Harry heard the footsteps grow distant and sat back on his heels, rubbing his face tiredly. He pulled the flush to get rid of the smell and thought about earlier.

Although at the time, Harry had really enjoyed himself with Draco, now the truth and realization of what had happened was, well, scary.  
He had willingly gone out of his way to have a civil, yet slightly embarrassing, conversation with Draco; he had actually had that said conversation, and then ended they up kissing each other amongst other things. Harry was also in no doubt that they would’ve gone further had there not been people outside the door.   
What was all that about? You don’t just suddenly start kissing boys!  
He had been in denial all this time, even though the signs were blindingly obvious. Now he had thought properly about it, it wasn’t really the thought to him being bisexual that frightened Harry, he was okay with that. It was the fact that he wasn’t just Harry to most people; he was the ‘boy who lived’ the ‘golden boy’ and the ‘chosen one’. Put it together with the fact that he had just kissed Draco Malfoy, convicted Death Eater’s son, and Harry’s former arch enemy, he was sure it wouldn’t bode too well.

Harry retched again, and jumped when he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Next moment, Hermione Granger was sat down next to him, rubbing his back just as Ron had done and muttering soothing words as Harry was sick again and again.  
“Hey”, She whispered, “You alright?”  
“Well I’ve been sat here heaving my guts up for the past two hours non stop so yeah I’m bloody brilliant”, Harry snapped. He felt Hermione’s hand stiffen on his back. “Sorry”, he said guiltily.  
“It’s alright”, said Hermione, her hand relaxing again and resuming its path of small circles, “It was a stupid question.”  
“Just a bit”, said Harry shakily.  
“Ron gave me this to give to you”, She said softly, handing Harry a glass of cold water. He downed it in one, and then promptly heaved it back up again. Hermione rubbed her hand all the way up to Harry’s neck, and then along his shoulders.  
“I know your not ill Harry”, she said quietly. Harry tensed under her touch.  
“What do you mean”, he said, warily.  
“I know you told Ron that it was something you ate”, She said, “But if it was something you ate then you would be feeling better by now. You would have got it all up now, and as all you’re bringing up is fluid then I know for certain it is not iffy food.”  
Harry shut is his eyes again as he threw up the remaining water he had swallowed, a feeling of dread in his stomach. Hermione was far too smart, and sometimes he loved her for it, but right now, he wasn’t so sure. Although, if she was going to work this out, or if she already had, then it wouldn’t be so difficult for Harry to come clean and tell her outright. He really did need someone to talk to as well, and he wasn’t ready to tell Ron something this big. He hadn’t forgiven him yet, and Ron wouldn’t like it one bit.

A stray tear leaked out of his eye as he rested his elbows heavily on the toilet seat. He wiped at it furiously, hoping Hermione hadn’t noticed it fall - she had.  
“Awww, baby come on”, she said soothingly, wrapping her arms around Harry and pulling him into her lap like a baby. She rocked him slightly as he tried to control himself. He was doing far too much crying for his liking this year!  
“Let it all out”, She said quietly. The flood gates opened as Harry let go of all kind of pride he was trying to hold on to and cried for all he was worth, soaking the shoulder of her t-shirt, his back heaving.  
They sat like this for a while, Harry crying on Hermione’s lap on the bathroom floor, while Hermione made relaxing shhh-ing noises, rubbing his back with one hand, the other stroking his hair.

After Harry had calmed down somewhat, Hermione lent backwards a bit so she could see Harry’s face. “What’s wrong?” she asked quietly.  
Harry choked back a few more sobs, and took a deep breath, “I don’t know where to start.”  
“Start from the top”, said Hermione, pushing Harry’s fringe out of his eyes a little. This was pointless as it fell back into place the moment she let go.  
Harry wasn’t really sure what the top was. That he was Bi? That he had kissed Draco Malfoy? Or that he was meeting him again tonight?  
He felt sick rising in his throat and lent for the toilet, but bit it back down and settled back down next to Hermione. She took his hands in hers and said, smiling.   
“Come on Harry. You know I love you whatever you choose to do. Anything at all, tell your big sister.”   
Harry smiled at this; Hermione really was like his big sister, she protected him, looked out for him, and he could tell her just about anything. The way she was looking at him with such conviction, made Harry realize he wasn’t on his own; he really could tell Hermione.  
“Well”, Harry began, swallowing and looking into his and Hermione’s joined hands. “I’m not…I’m not straight.” He looked up, expecting to see either disgust or shock, but he found neither, she was just looking at him.  
“Are you gay?” asked Hermione. Harry suddenly felt a lot more comfortable, knowing Hermione wasn’t going to take this badly.  
“No. I think I’m bisexual”, said Harry, looking her straight in the eyes.  
“That’s not all though is it”, said Hermione, “Who is it?” 

This question was the one that really tested on Harry’s faith in Hermione. Squeezing her hand tightly, he whispered, “Draco Malfoy.”  
Hermione inhaled deeply, as though trying to fill her lungs to their entire capacity. “Okay”, she said, eventually, “What happened?”  
“Well, we sort of kissed and, other stuff”, said Harry awkwardly, shifting slightly as he spoke, “I’m meeting him later tonight.”  
“So…are you upset because you realize it was a mistake or because it all just overwhelmed you?” Hermione asked.  
“Overwhelmed”, said Harry, laughing slightly. He felt so much better all ready having got that off his chest. “It was more the thought of what everyone else on the outside would say and stuff, you know?”  
“Yeah”, said Hermione slowly, “I suppose being who you are puts a lot of pressure on you to be, well, perfect, I suppose”, she sighed. “So, was he a good kisser?” she suddenly asked, excitedly.  
“Hermione!” Harry cried. Since when had she become so girly anyway?  
“What?” she asked, blatantly. “Just because I hang around with two boys doesn’t mean I can’t be girly every once in a while. And I think that we should talk about this kind of thing. Well maybe not Ron.” She smiled and Harry giggled at her.   
“To answer your first question yes he was. Very”, he admitted.  
“Tell you what”, said Hermione, shifting to get more comfortable, “You got and get changed quickly. Go and meet Draco, and I’ll tell Ron you went to the Hospital Wing. Sound like a plan?”  
“Yeah”, said Harry getting up, and then pulling Hermione up too. “What would I do without you hey?” He went over to the sink and brushed his teeth quickly.  
“Sorry about the sick and everything”, he said with his toothbrush still in his mouth.  
“Oh, its fine”, said Hermione airily, waving her hand.   
Harry spat out his toothpaste and rinsed his mouth. “Now I’m sure I stink so I’m going to have a quick shower and get dressed. If you go to dinner now then you won’t miss anything and you can tell Ron.”  
“Good idea”, said Hermione, wrinkling her nose, “You do smell a bit.”  
“Yeah well”, said Harry, putting his toothbrush away in the cabinet over the sink, “Thanks for listening and everything. I know it’s a bit much to take in and stuff, but I feel so much better.” He walked over to Hermione and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I love you, you know.”  
“Love you too Harry”, said Hermione, as she backed out the door, “Hope it goes well at any rate. I’ll tell Ron, so you won’t even have to back early if things get a little frisky.” She winked at him.  
“Go on then”, said Harry, grinning.  
“Put on your red skinny jeans!” Hermione called, as she walked across the dorm and to the stairs.  
“I will!” Harry shouted back.

 

_Author's Note: I'm posting this chapter early because I won't be able to get online tomorrow, so no chapter tomorrow._  
I'm going to Alton Towers and staying over, I'm stoked and I can't wait! Rollarcoasters, yeah!  
So, tell me what you think. Reviews? 


	11. Chapter 11 - Fourth Drink Instinct

  
Author's notes: Harry turned to look at Draco and grinned, “You explain.”

* * *

It was Saturday night; the time of the week for the older students to let loose and have some fun; and fun for them involved getting shit-faced, to put it simply.  
Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna, Ginny, Dean, Seamus, Lavender, Parvati and Padma, Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy, and Blaise where all sat in comfy bean bags or on the floor in the room of requirement doing exactly that.  
The collection of alcohol the room had provided was enormous; everything ranging from Firewhisky to Vodka, Butterbeer to Wine, Wizarding to Muggle, had popped into existence as the students had asked for it.

It had been over 3 weeks since Harry’s initial panic attack after he finally realized his sexuality, and things with Draco, although in secret, had been going better than he could ever have imagined.  
Every night just before curfew, Harry would creep out, using Hermione as his cover for Ron’s awkward questions, and meet Draco in the room of requirement. They’d sit and talk for hours upon hours, telling each other things that no one else had ever known, sharing memories, discussing Quidditch, and even doing their homework together. Although this was all well and good, this was what was expected of best friends. They would share ‘that look’ and without fail, ended up kissing each other hungrily on the softened room floor.  
They’d sit up, hot and sweaty, to find the sky outside pitch black and eventually set off to their respective dormitories. Except for tonight…

After many discussions, Harry and Draco had discovered that in fact, both of their houses held the same disorderly weekend drinking parties, and they had decided that they should join up.   
The word had spread, and pretty much everyone came along. It had taken Harry a while to convince Ron to come but he had managed eventually and there they were.

 

“Wait wait wait!” shouted Blaise, waving his hands around for quiet, slurring his words slightly as he spoke. “Let’s play Truth or Dare.”  
His proposal was met with lots of cheering from the students and a garbled chorus of ‘yeah.’ They all gathered round and sat cross-legged in a tight circle, with the alcohol in the middle, to begin the game.  
“Who’s going first?” asked Harry, looking around dazedly in his drunken state.  
“You are!” shouted Draco, pointing a finger at Harry and his head lolling as he slumped were he sat. Draco didn’t have a very high alcohol tolerance Harry had discovered with amusement. Draco had been the first to get drunk, after a measly four bottles of Butterbeer; it wasn’t even strong stuff. Now on reflection, Draco wasn’t just drunk, he was absolutely wrecked.  
“Truth or Dare?” Draco asked.  
“Truth”, said Harry, after a brief pause. He might’ve been drunk, but not so drunk that he didn’t know that doing a Dare in his state wasn’t a very smart idea. Although neither was a very good option; in wizard’s Truth or Dare you HAD to tell the truth.  
“Who are you shagging?” Pansy suddenly called from Dean’s lap.  
“No body”, Harry said easily.  
Hermione gave him a look that would’ve been sharp had she been sober, but at the moment she just looked confused. Something you didn’t see very often with Hermione Granger.  
“You mean that you, Harry Potter, the Saviour, who could have absolutely any girl he wanted isn’t even shagging anyone?” Pansy asked, in disbelief.  
“No”, he answered truthfully. He and Draco hadn't actually had sex, and they hadn't asked if he was seeing someone.  
“Have you ever?” she asked.  
Harry felt his face grow hot. “Erm, n-no”, he stuttered.  
“We think you should!” yelled Crabbe and Goyle. Everyone laughed, apart from Luna, who just gazed.  
“Moving on!” Ron bellowed.  
“Right, Luna”, said Harry, trying to focus his vision on the blonde, “Truth or Dare?”  
“Oh, wow. Dare”, said Luna hazily; she really wasn’t much different drunk or sober.  
Harry tried to think of something, but his alcohol fuelled brain was going a lot slower than usual.   
“Draco help me think of one”, he said, crawling over to Draco and sitting next to him, as Lavender moved aside to give him room. The world was spinning to Harry and he lost his balance, he toppled over into Draco’s lap.  
“I can’t think of one”, Harry giggled, still in Draco’s lap.  
“Draco’s even more plastered than you are”, said Dean from the other side of Harry and Draco, “I’m surprised he can even form a dis-cern-ible sentence.” He stumbled on the world discernible which made everyone laugh even more, and Harry just giggled pathetically.   
“Your being a h-hypocrite”, said Hermione, just managing to say the words without embarrassing herself.   
“It doesn’t matter; we’re all fucking wasted anyways”, Neville managed to say.  
Neville had been sat with his mouth clamped shut for the past half hour, he’d been looking a sick for some time beforehand but Neville had almost reached his limit and then had kept quiet for fear of vomiting all over the place.  
“He speaks!” Draco cried, throwing his arms into the air in an over-dramatic way.  
He toppled backwards, with Harry still on his lap, and they feel into a heap with Harry’s head on his chest. Draco reached up and pushed Harry's fringe out of his face.  
Harry giggled uncontrollably, his laugh sent vibrations that Draco obviously liked, as Harry felt a distinct hardening underneath him. He just giggled some more.

 

The party went on for some time, and the students dropped off to sleep or else passed put one after the other. Surprisingly, Draco had not been the one to collapse first.  
The Patil twins had been first after being dared to drink a whole bottle of muggle Vodka each in one go. They were followed by Neville, who finally gave in to the urge to be sick after the room had made a bathroom; followed by Ginny who had simply fallen asleep, then Crabbe and Goyle, Lavender, Blaise, Hermione, Dean, Ron, Pansy and finally Luna had all passed out.  
Now Harry and Draco sat in each others arms, staring around at their friends who were all spread out around the room completely smashed and covered in beer.  
“That was fun”, said Draco, simply.  
“Yeah”, said Harry leaning back into Draco some more, “Seen as they are all out of it, I think we should have some more fun.” He winked.  
“What kind of fun would that be then?” asked Draco, innocently.  
Harry turned around so he was facing Draco and pushed him down. “Like this”, said Harry mischievously. He straddled Draco and started grinding his hips down onto Draco making him groan. Draco reached up and pulled Harry’s head down for a kiss.   
Harry could taste the mixture of alcohols in Draco’s mouth as he thrust his tongue in, running it along Draco’s teeth and the roof of his mouth. He sighed into Draco’s mouth, while pushing their bodies closer together, seeking more contact. He couldn’t find it without squashing Draco, so he pulled Draco up, mouths still locked. They kneeled in front of each other, chest to chest, as they kissed furiously.   
Draco’s hands sneaked up Harry’s t-shirt at the back and Harry gasped, grasping Draco’s jean-clad arse and pushing Draco into him. Their hands became frantic, and they desperately clawed at each others clothing, desperate to remove it and be as close as psychically possible. Harry cursed himself for wearing his tight green jeans as his erection strained painfully against them; the tight t-shirt wasn't helping either.  
As though reading Harry's mind, Draco pulled Harry’s shirt over his head, breaking the kiss for a moment while Harry fumbled with the buttons on Draco’s jeans. 

Draco was kissing, sucking, and nipping at Harry’s neck making him ache with want; hands sliding up and down Harry’s now bare sides. It made Harry dizzy and finally he got Draco’s jeans unzipped and unbuttoned, and Harry thrust his hand down Draco’s boxers to fasten around Draco’s hard length. They both moaned at the same time. Draco was so…perfect. He moved his hand up and down Draco’s cock, slowly at first, but getting faster and faster as their breathing became laboured.   
Draco detached himself from Harry’s neck as he moaned, “Fucking hell Harry.”   
This only drove Harry harder and his hand pumped Draco harder as he felt himself climbing up to climax, just from the sounds Draco was making.   
“Fuck”, Draco gasped, shutting his eyes tight, “I’m guna…” he tensed as his thick, white come came spurting out, covering both himself and Harry. He moaned and collapsed boneless against Harry’s chest, panting heavily.  
Harry kissed Draco’s sweaty head, breathing deeply himself. He had almost come with Draco, and now his own cock needed attending to. He could sort that later.  
He sat back down, stretching his legs out in front of him and pulling Draco back against him and cast a quick cleaning charm on them both.  
“That was…fuck”, Draco said, his breathing settling down, “amazing.” He titled his head up to kiss Harry softly.

“That is was”, said a voice from behind them. Harry felt a sinking dread in the pit of his stomach, as they both turned around.  
Blaise was sat with his arms and legs crossed with a smirk firmly planted on his face.  
“Interesting show”, he said, calmly.  
“Look Blaise”, said Draco, while quickly fastening his trousers, “That wasn’t…”  
Blaise interrupted him, “Yes it was. Don’t even deny it Draco”, he shook his head, “Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter fucking. No matter how drunk you are I know that that wouldn’t even happen in those circumstances. That’s were you’ve been sneaking off too every night isn’t it Draco?” He sneered, looking at a gob smacked Draco and a highly embarrassed Harry, “Who else knows?” he asked.  
“No one”, said Draco.  
But Harry knew that wasn’t true, time to fess up, “Actually Draco, Hermione knows”, he said quietly, taking Draco’s hand, “She worked it out.”  
Draco buried his face in his other hand. “Fucking hell”, he whispered.  
“Fucking indeed”, said Blaise, conversationally.  
“Please don’t tell”, said Draco, looking up with pleading eyes.  
Blaise looked thoughtful, and seemed to be considering him. “Alright. If anyone asks, we all passed out; including you two.”   
Draco smiled weakly at him. “Thanks Blaise.”   
“Yeah thanks”, said Harry.  
“But”, Blaise said, holding up a finger. Draco and Harry’s faces fell and they tensed, “I get to gossip about it with Hermione if she knows.” Their shoulder’s relaxed and Harry chuckled, “Sure.”  
“So”, said Blaise, leaning forward in a business like way, “How did the two of you, of all people, get together?”  
Harry turned to look at Draco and grinned, “You explain.”

 

_Author's Note: Sorrrryyyyy! I missed last nights update so I'm posting this morning! Sorry!_  
But don't worry, I'll still be posting tonight as well.  
Hoped this was a fun chapter for you all to read, I know it was fun to write!  
Reviews? 


	12. Chapter 12 - Listen

  
Author's notes: "Can you just down Harry I need to talk to you”, said Draco quietly, not meeting Harry’s eyes. Now seriously concerned, Harry slowly walked off and dropped into the chair opposite Draco. He didn’t like the sound of this, at all.  
“What’s up?” Harry asked, his voice wavering slightly.  
Draco rubbed his face wearily. “I-I, I don’t know how to say this.”

* * *

Harry grinned to himself as he leant back onto his pillows, arms above his head in the boy’s dormitories. Having slept off his hangover from the night before, his mood had taken a definite upturn after Hedwig had delivered him a note from Draco asking him to meet up in the room of requirement later tonight.  
He was excited, because meeting Draco usually ending up as what Harry could only describe as a snog fest.

Nothing had ever prepared Harry for the intense feelings he was getting for Draco now, and he didn’t mean the hatred he had once felt. He felt warm and fuzzy inside whenever Draco was around, and although he had been scared before, he loved this feeling now. It was the little things that made all the difference to Harry. The way Draco wrinkled his nose when he laughed, the way that he blushed when Harry kissed his nose, when he squirmed if Harry tickled his tummy, and the way he would link his small, soft hands with Harry’s if no one was looking.  
Although Harry knew Draco would likely kill him if he ever found out, Harry thought he was simply adorable.

He loved Draco’s new look that he had only briefly registered that day on the train. Harry’s favourite was Draco’s hair. It was cut like his but looked totally opposite as his hair was white-blonde instead of black. It was no longer jelled back tight against his head as it had been in first year, the back was still jelled but stuck up, and so Harry could play with the rest of it. It was so soft; just like everything else about Draco. His hair, lips, hands, and just his skin in general were like silk; white silk.

Smiling to himself Harry reached for his iPod – another goodie he had picked up for himself in muggle London – and found a song he had heard one day in a shop.  
He didn’t even know why but it just made him think of Draco. He pressed play and the sound of electric guitars filled his ears as he slipped the player into his, today bright red and black studded belt.

_“Hey...uh uh huh_

_What I like about you_  
You hold me tight  
Tell me im the only one wanna come over tonight   
Keep on whispering in my ear tell me all the things that I wanna hear   
Cuz it’s true that’s what I like about you   
That’s what I like about you 

_What I like about you_  
You really know how to dance   
When you go   
Up   
Down jump around   
Talk about true romance  
Keep on whispering in my ear tell me all the things that I wanna hear   
Cuz it’s true that’s what I like about you   
That’s what I like about you  
That’s what I like about you  
That’s what I like about you 

_Hey uh uh huh_

_What I like about you_  
You keep me warm at night  
Never wanna let you go   
You know you make me feel alright  
Keep on whispering in my ear tell me all the things that I wanna hear   
Cuz it’s true that’s what I like about you   
That’s what I like about you  
That’s what I like about you   
You you you  
That’s what I like about you...” 

He couldn’t help but sing along. Draco had once caught him when he was in the shower singing this very song and Draco had said he was good.  
Harry wasn’t sure himself but sometimes he just let himself go and sang anyway.  
The song ended and before another one began Harry turned it off as Ron came striding into the dorm.  
“Was that you?” asked Ron, who looked stunned.  
“Yeah, sorry. I’ll stop”, said Harry, as he put his iPod back on his dresser.  
“You don’t have too for me”, said Ron, still looking shocked, “You’re pretty fucking good.”  
Harry laughed, “Yeah that’s what Dr…Hermione said.” He hoped Ron hadn’t noticed his mistake.  
“Right”, said Ron slowly, looking at Harry funny. He’d obviously noticed but didn’t say anything. “You coming down for dinner?”  
“Sure. I just need to change my jeans; I got some kind of shit on these”, said Harry, pointing at a mud stain on his knee. He only wished Ron didn’t ask where he’d got it. He and Draco had snuck out after Blaise had caught them and ending up snogging in a bush just off the side of the castle.  
“I’ll meet you down there then”, said Ron, brightly. As his footsteps dies Harry leapt up out of bed and grabbed his black and white zebra print jeans out of his trunk. He hadn’t worn these yet and he held them up. They’ll do, he decided.

*

Harry was sat in between Dean and Ron at the Gryffindor table having a very embarrassing conversation about how tight his jeans where.  
“How do you even get those on?” asked Dean in amazement.  
“With difficulty”, said Harry bluntly, his mouth full of mash potato.  
“But don’t they like…you know?” asked Ron.  
“Don’t they what?” asked Harry, looking at Ron in a puzzled way and taking a sip of water.  
“Well, what about your bits?” said Ron his face flushing bright red like a tomato.  
Harry snorted spraying water out of his nose. ‘Eurgh!’ everyone said.  
“Sorry”, Harry muttered, wiping his nose on his sleeve.  
“Honestly Ronald. I’m sure Harry wouldn’t wear them if they hurt him”, said Hermione matter-of-factly looking at Ron in a disapproving manner.  
“S’pose not”, Ron mumbled, not looking at Harry or Hermione.  
It was silent for a while before Harry couldn’t stand it anymore. “Let’s talk about something else”, he said abruptly.  
“Yeah. When are you getting another tattoo?” asked Ron.  
“I meant something that wasn’t about me!” said Harry indignantly.  
“Yeah but you’re pretty interesting”, Ron argued, “Admit it”  
“I’m not”, said Harry huffily, “So maybe I’ve changed a lot but it’s been like a month now or something.”  
“Can you take any of your piercing’s out yet?” asked Ron.  
“Nah. Two more weeks and then I can”, said Harry around a mouthful of sausage.  
“Why don’t you just heal them with magic?” asked Hermione.  
Harry looked thoughtful, then annoyed. “Why do I not have any common sense what so ever Hermione? Can I borrow some of yours?”  
Hermione chuckled, “You have some…somewhere. And you can’t have mine.” The others laughed. “Lean forward and I’ll heal them for you.”  
Harry lent forward slightly as Hermione muttered a healing spell on each piercing.  
“There you are”, she said proudly, “Try now.”  
Harry carefully reached to his lip and took the ring out slowly, it didn’t hurt.  
“Thanks”, he said, looking at the ring in his hand.   
“No problem”, she said, “But put it back in. Much better.”  
Harry did as he was told and then continued eating his dinner which was starting to get cold by now. “What time is it?” he asked whoever was listening.  
“Nine”, said Lavender from Hermione’s right.  
“Shit”, said Harry standing up, he was supposed to be meeting Draco right now.  
“What?” asked Hermione.  
“I’ve got to go to that thing remember?” said Harry, looking at her and telling her with his eyes ‘Draco’  
“Oh yes!” said Hermione, clapping her hands together, “You’d better be off.”  
“Bye!” Harry yelled over his shoulder as he ran from the great hall.

 

By the time Harry reached the seventh floor he was out of breath and clutching at the stitch in his chest. He took a few moments to steady his breathing, before pushing open the heavy oak door.  
Looking around, Harry was a little puzzled, there wasn’t the normal four-poster bed with its green hangings from the previous times Harry had come to meet Draco; instead there was two armchairs in front of a crackling fire, and they were no where near big enough for Harry and Draco to fit in together. Harry walked forward nervously towards the back of a blond head he could see sticking out from the top of one of the armchairs, the one facing away from him. He rounded the corner and made to sit near Draco.  
“Hey Drakey. What’s with the room? No fun tonight then?” he said jokingly.  
“No. Can you just down Harry I need to talk to you”, said Draco quietly, not meeting Harry’s eyes. Now seriously concerned, Harry slowly walked off and dropped into the chair opposite Draco. He didn’t like the sound of this, at all.  
“What’s up?” Harry asked, his voice wavering slightly.  
Draco rubbed his face wearily. “I-I, I don’t know how to say this.”  
“Tell me”, said Harry, his voice breaking. Please don’t let this be what I think it is, he prayed silently.  
“I think”, Draco swallowed, “I think we should stop seeing each other.”  
Harry’s stomach dissolved. He felt as if someone had pulled the ground suddenly away from underneath him and his stomach lurched unpleasantly.  
“W-what?” he choked, “W-why?”  
Draco sighed, “I just think that, well, we can’t go sneaking around forever. Someone will find out.”  
“I’ll tell Ron if that’s what you’re worried about”, said Harry frantically, “I don’t really want to sneak around either. We don’t have to hide.”  
“No”, Draco groaned, “I think it’s for the best if we just don’t see each other.”  
Tears were now streaming down Harry’s face, but he didn’t brush them off. “Why?” he choked, “I thought this is what you wanted.”  
“Look Harry, people are going to find out. Blaise did, Hermione did. It won’t be long before everyone does too”, Draco said.  
“Maybe I WANT people to know”, Harry shouted, standing up, “I’ll tell Ron, I don’t care! Are you ashamed of me or something?”  
“No!” said Draco quickly, “I just don’t think it’s a good idea.”  
“Why not?” Harry screamed, and when Draco didn’t answer whispered, “Fine. I don’t need you anyway.” He turned on his heel and left the room of requirement.

*

In Gryffindor tower, Hermione was sat in a squashy armchair, cradling a sobbing Harry on her knee, rocking him backwards and forwards as he poured his heart out to her.  
“And t-there’s me thinking e-every t-thing is fuc-fucking fantastic!” Harry wailed, his eyes streaming, “How fuc-fucking s-stupid am I?” he blew his nose on the one of the many tissues Hermione had conjured for him.  
“Your not stupid baby”, Hermione cooed, stroking his hair as he cried, “It’s just Draco being a bastard. You don’t need him.”  
“T-that’s what I s-said”, Harry bawled, “But I f-fucking lied. I n-need him.”  
“Shhh”, Hermione soothed, “You don’t need him. You where fine before and you’ll be after.”   
“No I won’t. I’ll end up l-like those c-creepy old women w-who have loads of c-cats instead of a husband”, Harry sobbed.  
Hermione chuckled in spite of herself, “Don’t be silly.”  
“I’m being p-perfectly realistic”, said Harry, blowing his nose noisily.   
“Look at me Harry”, said Hermione, titling Harry’s chin to make him look, “You don’t need Draco. Don’t interrupt”, she said, holding up a finger to stop Harry, “It hurts now, but believe me, it will get better with time and one day you wonder what you ever saw in him.”  
“I h-hope that day comes s-soon”, Harry snivelled, “Before I shrivel up and d-die from loneliness.”  
“You won’t”, said Hermione, firmly, “I want you to listen to me very carefully.”  
Harry nodded feebly. “You are not going to die lonely with lots of cats. You are the Boy Who Lived and girls will be clambering to get at you. As I’ve said before, if you weren’t my best friend I’d probably want you too.”  
Harry laughed weakly at this, “Will men be after me too?”  
Hermione laughed, “Of course.”  
“Good”, Harry muttered, “They’ve got less squishy bits.”  
Hermione roared with laughter and Harry smiled sheepishly. “No offence”, He added.  
“Non taken”, said Hermione wiping her streaming eyes, “But seriously Harry”,  
Harry looked her in the eye, “If he isn’t willing to stay with you forever and see what such a wonderful person you are then he isn’t worth it. You’re far too good for him.”  
Harry smiled weakly as he wiped at his face, “Thanks.”  
“Now get to bed”, said Hermione briskly as she gave Harry a small shove to get off her lap, “You need some more sleep.”  
Harry got up, “Yes Mum”, he said as he lent down and gave Hermione a kiss on the head.  
“Go!” said Hermione forcefully, pointing her finger to the staircase, but smiling none the less.  
“I’m going”, said Harry holding up his hands, “Love you.”  
“Love you too”, called Hermione as Harry disappeared upstairs.

 

*

_Author's Note: *cringes as readers throw roten eggs at her*_  
I'm sorrrryyyy!   
*ducks as vegetables fly*  
SORRY!  
*hides behind a bin* 

_It had to be done! Please don't hate me! I hope this injected a bit of drama, and made you mad too, as that was the point. But I'll say no more, or I'll give it away and I'm terrible at that so...  
Review if you've read please, it's only polite!_


	13. Chapter 13 - It's Far Better To Learn

  
Author's notes: “Ah hah!” said Hermione pointing a finger at nothing in particular, “That is where Blaise comes in.”

Harry looked vacant again. What did she mean? And then…it hit him. “No way!” yelled Harry, waving his arms in front of him, and then shaking his head at Hermione, “This had better not be what I think.”  


* * *

“So”, whispered Harry, leaning forward and resting his arms on the one of the Library’s rickety old tables, “What’s the plan?”  
“Well…” Hermione began with a particularly evil smirk, “You want Draco back right?”  
“Right”, Harry confirmed with a nod of his head.  
“And you think that he didn’t really want to give you up?”  
“Right”  
“And you know that he was hiding something?”  
“Right”  
“And you want to know what it is?”  
“Right”  
“Good”, said Hermione, leaning back with a sneer on her face, “The plan is set then, if I can be cruel to him.”  
“How cruel?” said Harry, eyeing Hermione carefully.  
“Cruel. Not too cruel, but yeah pretty cruel”, said Hermione off-handily, waving an impatient hand at Harry carelessly.  
Harry stared, “So are you going to be cruel or not?”  
“Yeah it’s cruel, for him if he still wants you anyway”, said Hermione nonchalantly, “For us it should be fun though.” She smiled.  
Harry just looked at her. “Are you going to tell me what this ingenious plan is then?”  
“Oh. Yeah”, said Hermione, looking flustered, “It depends on if you’re willing to participate, and if Blaise is willing too.”  
“Tell me what the damn plan is already!” Harry hissed looking around to make sure no one was eavesdropping.  
“Well. Your rich, famous and gorgeous”, said Hermione matter-of-factly.  
“I am not!” said Harry, indignantly whilst crossing his arms across his chest.  
“It wasn’t a question”, said Hermione stiffly; she leaned back over the table, “You see, we need to make Draco really, and I mean painfully to the point of explosion, jealous.”  
Harry just continued to look at her blankly. “So…?”   
“So”, said Hermione as if Harry was a bit dim, “Then he’ll take you back when he realizes what he is missing out on.”  
“I figured that!” Harry huffed, annoyed, “What I ment was how are we going to make him jealous?”  
“Ah hah!” said Hermione pointing a finger at nothing in particular, “That is where Blaise comes in.”

Harry looked vacant again. What did she mean? And then…it hit him. “No way!” yelled Harry, waving his arms in front of him, and then shaking his head at Hermione, “This had better not be what I think.”  
“Well that depends on what your thinking”, said Hermione smugly.   
Harry just gaped at her. Since when had she become so crafty, and cocky? I was only 3 days ago when she had been rocking him on her lap like a toddler. He was surprised that Hermione had never joined forces with the Weasley twins from the look she was giving him now, one eyebrow cocked and her head on a tilt. He was still gawping at Hermione when she launched herself forward across the table and snapped her fingers in front of his face bringing him out of his stupor.  
“So either you or me is going to have to ask Blaise if he can pretend to be going out with you. In fact I’ll ask”, she decided without any input from Harry.  
“What if he won’t do it? I mean, he is one of Draco’s best mates”, said Harry, uncertainly. He paused, “I don’t think he’ll do it.”  
“Well”, said Hermione thoughtfully, “If not, then I will.”  
“Are you crazy?” Harry hissed, “Ron would fucking kill me!”  
“Why?” asked Hermione, anxiously.   
“Because he fancies the pants off you”, said Harry as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, and added an eye-roll for effect.  
“Really?” said Hermione, her eyes glazed over and for a strange moment Harry was reminded of Luna Lovegood.  
“Snap out of it”, said Harry furiously, “Your plan is rubbish Hermione, sorry but it’s the truth.”  
“Do you have a better one?” Hermione spat, and when Harry opened his mouth and shut it again repeatedly like a goldfish she smirked, “Thought not.”

Harry huffed again and sat there looking like a spoilt child, “So, what’s the whole plan?”  
“Okay, basically we get Ginny to do you up really nice in your new clothes and everything, everyday so that you look even better. That’s step one”, she said.  
Harry nodded.  
“Step 2. Get Blaise, or me, to go out with you when you’re looking all gorgeous and we go to lots of parties, get drunk, take drugs, and have a really good time.  
“Step 3. We make sure we get into the newspapers so we get loads of attention.  
“Step 4. Kissing in the corridors to make sure Draco see’s.  
“It’s pretty simple really”, concluded Hermione.  
“O-ok”, Harry stammered, then an idea hit him “Can me getting another tattoo be part of it?”  
“Maybe”, said Hermione excitedly, and then smirked again. “Draco is going to learn what real revenge feels like.”  
“You’re right Hermione”, said Harry, leaning backwards on his chair so two of the legs didn’t touch the ground, “This is going to be fun.”

*

Harry was on his way to Transfiguration that afternoon after a particularly nasty Potions lesson, where he carefully avoided Draco’s eye, when someone grabbed him out of the shadows. Harry yelped in shock as the person clamped a hand over his mouth and pulled him back and into an empty classroom.  
Harry struggled out of the person’s grip and whipped around furiously to face non other than Blaise Zabini, who was looking smug.  
“What was that for?” Harry hissed.  
“I needed to talk to you”, said Blaise calmly.  
“You really didn’t need to abduct me to do it”, said Harry crossly.  
“I just wanted to see what was so difficult that the Dark Lord couldn’t do it”, said Blaise indifferently, examining one the nails on his left hand, “I don’t know why he comes up with all these elaborate schemes’s when he could just grab you.” He smirked, “You’re not hard to catch.”  
Harry couldn’t help it, he laughed, “I don’t grabbing people is really his style.”  
“Apparently not”, said Blaise, his eyes roaming over Harry’s body, “Look, Hermione came to me earlier about you and Draco. I’m sorry you spilt.” He looked sincere.  
“Thanks”, mumbled Harry looking elsewhere, “So am I.”  
“So that’s the reason I’ve decided to be apart of this plan”, said Blaise quickly.  
Harry’s head snapped back to Blaise, making his neck crick, “Really?”  
“Yes. Really. Not for you, it’s for Draco. I know that he spilt with you, but when you were together he was happier than I’ve ever seen him and I know for a fact he’s regretting it but he’s too damn proud to ask you to take him back.”  
Harry gazed at Blaise, he seemed to be telling the truth and Harry decided to trust him. He nodded his head at Blaise who gave a small smile.  
“You do know what this involves right?” Harry asked warily.  
He was slightly concerned that if they ever developed any feelings for each other this could get far more complicated than Harry would like. Then he’d be in a very nasty position indeed.  
“Yep. And just for the record, I won’t fall for you. I’m not gay or bi. I’m straight so this is going to be a challenge for me”, said Blaise, as though sensing Harry’s uncertainty.  
“I’m not sure about this you know”, said Harry worriedly, “It needs to be convincing.”  
“I like challenges”, said Blaise simply, as if that helped.  
Harry eyed Blaise carefully. If this was truly going to work, he needed Blaise’s full cooperation. “Kiss me”, Harry demanded.  
Blaise came forward without a second thought and gave Harry a small but soft kiss on the lips. He pulled back. “Is this a test?”  
“Of sorts yeah”, said Harry, shrugging.  
“Well that won’t do then will it”, Blaise smirked; he lent back in and kissed Harry deeply, cupping Harry’s face with his hands. They pulled apart after several long moments, gasping for air.  
“Well”, said Harry when he got his breath back, “You’re a good enough actor from what I can tell”; he looked at Blaise, “Tell me you didn’t feel anything.”  
“I didn’t feel anything”, said Blaise and Harry knew he was telling the truth.  
“Good, because I didn’t either”, said Harry. He stuck out his hand for Blaise to shake, which he did, “From now on you are my pretend boyfriend. Up for the challenge?”  
“Am I ever”, said Blaise with a grin.  
Harry grinned back, “What’s your next class?”  
“Transfiguration”, said Blaise, “I’ll walk you there if you like.”  
“You read my mind”, said Harry with a smirk, he slid his hand into Blaise’s and took a deep breath, “Showtime.”

*

It was soon Saturday night again and Harry was up in Ginny’s dormitory, apparently the stairs let you up if you didn’t have an interest in any of the girls, which would explain why Ron couldn’t come up – Hermione. He’d brought all his new clothes up with him as Hermione explained that Ginny would be helping him out tonight.  
He sat in a squishy chair that swivelled and he was in front of a huge floor length mirror with Ginny at his side.  
“Where to start?” Ginny mumbled to herself, running her fingers through Harry’s hair absentmindedly, “You need to get dressed first or your hair will get messed up.”  
Harry just sat there silently. Ginny was like his adopted sister, and she knew what she was doing so he left her too it. She suddenly left his side and went to the pile of clothes that Harry had brought, searching through them for something suitable.  
“Ah hah!” she said coming back over and handing Harry his skin-tight, green jeans, “Put those on.”  
He didn’t mind being sat in only his boxers around Ginny, she’d seen it all before with six brother’s and he obediently did as he was told. Pulling on his jeans, he heard Ginny mumbling to herself again as she looked through his tops.  
Eventually she strode back over, holding up a black t-shirt with a white spine down the back, and ribs at the front.   
“This too”, she instructed, and again Harry did as he was told.

She went back over, mumbling all the way until she chucked Harry his black vans from over her shoulder, skimming Harry’s head as the ducked the flying shoe.  
“Watch it!” he yelled.  
“Sorry”, said Ginny without looking at him.   
Harry huffed and went to pick up the shoe just as the other came flying past him. Grumbling he went to pick that one up too, muttering about how Ginny was trying to decapitate him.  
“I heard that Harry James Potter!” Ginny yelled, turning to face him.   
Harry tried and failed to look innocent, “I didn’t say anything.”  
“Yes you did”, said Ginny, pointing a finger at him, “You said that Voldemort should’ve tried hitting you with a shoe because it would’ve worked better.”  
Harry couldn’t help it, he sniggered and clamped his hand over his mouth to try and stop himself. Ginny looked at him sternly, but the corners of her mouth twitched as she tried not to smile.  
He couldn’t help it. Harry burst out laughing making Ginny laugh along with him.

“Anyway”, said Ginny briskly, clapping her hands together, “Back to business.”  
She went back to bed and came back several minutes later with a black studded belt, black and white chequered jacket, and black studs, rings and bars for his ears, lip and eyebrow. She gave them to Harry, who changed his silver piercing’s for the black ones, put on his belt although he really didn’t need one and shrugged on his jacket.  
Ginny stood in front of him, scrutinising his body carefully. “Good”, she said, “I’ll do your hair now.”  
Harry looked in the mirror. He had been in the shower and his hair had dried by itself, so it was sticking up a bit, no where near as bad as it used to, but still it looked a bit messy.   
“Thanks Ginny”, said Harry, giving his sister a one-armed hug.  
She squeezed him back. “Anytime. Now plonk your behind in this chair.”  
Sitting down, Harry watched Ginny in the mirror as she went over to her bed. She tucked her flaming her behind her ears and ducked down, pulling a box from under the bed. She pulled out, what looked like muggle straighteners.  
“How did you get those?” asked Harry.  
“From Dad’s shed”, she answered, tapping them with her wand to heat them up as there was no electricity in Hogwarts, “He let me have them for when my hair gets a little out of control.”  
Harry was shocked. “Your hair is always perfect though!”  
“That’s because I’ve got these”, said Ginny, knowingly, “Now don’t move too much or you’ll get burnt.”  
Harry sat still and kept quiet as Ginny straightened out his fringe so it fell over his eye. When she was done, she grabbed a pot of wax from her pocket and stuck up the back of Harry’s hair. She also applied eyeliner to his eyes, making the green stand out vividly against the black.  
“Done!” she said throwing her arms in the air dramatically.  
Harry looked in the mirror. She had done a good job.  
“Thanks Gin”, he said, giving her a proper hug and kissing her head.  
“No problem”, said Ginny, hugging her brother back, “Draco’s not going to know what hit him.”

 

_Author's Note: Hope this was okay for you, and hopefully you are looking forward to the next chapter!_  
:D  
Please review, it's rude not too! 


	14. Chapter 14 - Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous

  
Author's notes: “So. Shall we go back in and stage drunkenness to make more headlines or just go and get shit faced for real anyways?” he asked with a grin.  
Harry gave him a wide smile, “Just get shit faced for real.”   


* * *

Harry took a deep breath to try and steady his shaking nerves. “Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked uncertainly.  
“Harry we’ve been through this about a million times”, said Blaise wearily - Harry just never got the point sometimes, “I’ve never been surer of anything in my life. You and Draco will get back together and if this is the only way to do it then so be it.”  
“Ok”, said Harry, he took Blaise’s hand, “Thanks for doing this.”  
“Anytime.”   
With one more reassuring look from Blaise, Harry strode through the door of the night club, pulling Blaise along behind him by the hand, and stared around. There was a dance floor in the middle of the dark room that was heaving with sweaty bodies, all dancing to the deafeningly loud music that pumped from huge speakers on the walls and floor. The floor vibrated and multi-coloured flashing lights went off from every direction, casting weird shapes onto the black walls as they flashed and rotated.  
Along the back wall was a bar, again crowded with people sat on spindly stools as the talked, and in some cases kissed; lit by neon blue lights that lit the hundreds of glasses along the shelves.  
Surrounding the dance floor where numerous glass tables, covered in glasses of brightly coloured cocktails and pints beer that obviously belonged to the gossiping people that sat around them.

Harry pulled gently on Blaise’s hand after scanning the crowd for a sign of Pansy, and finding her sat at a table to the left in a corner with Crabbe, Goyle and Draco.   
Blaise had told Harry earlier than all of Draco’s friends had seen the change in him when he had been with Harry, and had taken to helping out with the plan to get them back together; not that Draco knew of course.  
Harry pushed his way through the chattering crowds to get at the table; there was only one chair left and Harry suspected it wasn’t accidental.  
“Hey guys”, said Harry as he neared the table, making sure Draco spotted his and Blaise’s linked hands.   
Draco was wearing tight grey jeans, black top, black converse and an electric blue belt and blue glow sticks that bended into bangles around his thin wrists. They illuminated his pale colouring; making his hair and skin glow a pale blue and making his grey eyes stand out silver in the dark. There was no denying he was striking; to Harry anyway.   
As predicted, Draco’s jaw tightened and he clearly tried to look anywhere but at their hands.

“Hey Harry, Blaise”, said Pansy, friendlily with a nod of her head, “I got you drinks.” She pointed at two violently pink cocktails on the table, “They are strong I warn you.”   
Harry laughed, “Good. I could do with something strong”, he glanced at Draco, who was determinably looking at the people on the dance floor.  
“I’ll bet you do”, said Crabbe, also glancing at Draco, “You guna’ sit down or what?”  
Blaise walked around Harry and sat in the chair. He patted his lap for Harry to sit on and Harry raised a pierced eyebrow. Blaise blatantly looked over at Draco who was still not looking and then back to his lap. Harry huffed, but sat down carefully on Blaise’s lap, trying not to put too much weight on him but Blaise was having none of it. He pulled Harry back against his chest and wrapped his arms around Harry’s waist. Harry tensed at first, but soon relaxed into Blaise.  
“Couldn’t pass our drinks could you Pans?” asked Blaise.  
“Sure”, she said as she reached over to grab them, making sure to brush against Draco’s arm as she did. She handed them over.  
“Thanks”, said Harry.  
“It’s all right. You two look so comfortable together”, she said, cheerfully.  
Draco’s head whipped around and as he saw Harry and Blaise sitting together, they chose that moment to have a quick kiss. Harry knew Draco was probably biting his tongue, he could tell from his expression. His mouth had formed a thin line, his jaw was tight, and his beautiful black lined grey eyes where oddly still and unblinking. He was trying to use the Malfoy Mask again, but his eyes always gave him away to Harry.

“Coming for a dance?” Blaise asked suddenly.  
Harry swallowed his mouthful of drink; it was strong like Pansy had said and his eyes began to water, “Sure”, he said, wiping at his eyes.   
“What’s up?” asked Blaise, wiping at Harry’s eyes for him. He looked at Draco.  
“Is this too much?” he whispered in Harry’s ear, “We can go if you don’t want to stay.”  
“No, no!” said Harry quickly, “The drink was just strong.”  
“Ok then”, said Blaise, taking a cautious sip of his own. He pulled a face, “God it is as well! What’s in this Pans?”  
“Err, I don’t really know”, she said, shrugging, “I just asked for the strongest they had.”  
“God”, said Blaise, his own eyes watering. Harry wiped Blaise’s eyes just had Blaise had done for him only seconds ago. Blaise held Harry’s hand with his own and kissed Harry’s fingertips gently. He smiled at Harry as he let his hand go.  
“Shall we dance then?” he asked.  
“Yeah”, said Harry, smiling softly. They got up and linked hands again as Blaise pulled Harry to the dance floor, “You lot coming?” he called over his shoulder.  
“Yup!” shouted Goyle. He, Crabbe, and Pansy all made to get up, and as Draco stayed sitting with his face sour Pansy grabbed him too and yanked him along.  
“Don’t be so grumpy Draco!” she said, irritated.

Out on the dance floor, they all gathered close together, pushing and gosling with the crowd as the dance music pounded.  
“Ready to put on a show?” Blaise said in his ear.  
“Am I ever?” said Harry, smirking.  
They closed the gap between them so they were chest to chest, and they started to move.  
They began slowly, rubbing up and down against each other, swinging their hips to the music, one of Blaise’s hands on Harry’s hip and the other on his arse, pushing them as close as possible. Harry’s hands rested on top of Blaise’s as they moved.  
The music pumped louder and louder as they ground against each other, making each other hot and sweaty, but not aroused. Harry was sure they where making quite a scene in the sea of dancing people as he slid down Blaise’s body, rocking his hips in time with the beat. Moving back up, he sucked on Blaise’s neck as Blaise swayed against him.   
“Time for a kiss I think”, Blaise whispered in his ear. Harry separated himself from Blaise’s neck and their lips crashed together in a furious kiss. Their lips moved against each other’s and Blaise put his hand on the back of Harry’s head to keep him in place.  
Although from an outsiders view, the kiss looked earth-shattering and deep, it wasn’t a kiss to Harry and Blaise at all.  
Their lips were simply on each others, no tongues, no biting, no nothing apart from movement, but they obviously had everyone else fooled.

Suddenly, a camera flashed from their side, emitting a puff of purple smoke that smelt oddly of rotten eggs.  
Harry and Blaise quickly pulled apart to find a wizard in yellow robes with a large letter ‘M’ on them, holding the most enormous camera Harry had ever seen. It looked like one of the old fashioned muggle ones.  
Quickly pretending too look shocked and upset, Harry stormed away, pushing roughly through the crowd and out of the door. It was all part of the plan; Hermione had deliberately told a Daily Prophet reporter that he would be there, faking a tip-off, so they could stage him getting caught. By tomorrow, it would be all over the newspapers.

Outside Blaise caught up with Harry and he gave him a high five.  
“Talk about good performance”, he said quietly so that no one would hear, “You should’ve seen Draco’s face when we pulled apart, he looked ready too kill”, he grinned at Harry; “It’s working.”  
“Yeah”, said Harry, stressed out.   
Although he was pleased that the plan was working, he felt terrible. He really wanted Draco back and felt mean for upsetting him. He had to admit that he was still hurting inside from the break up, although he put on a brave face in front of everyone else. And now he felt guilty because Blaise had done so much for him and yet was risking his friendship with Draco whilst getting nothing in return.  
Harry didn’t know what to do. He could just give up the plan and try to get over Draco, or carry on.  
“What’s wrong?” asked Blaise, sensing Harry’s lack of emotion when he spoke.  
“Nothing”, said Harry, unconvincingly. Blaise cocked an eyebrow at him. He sighed, “I just feel bad for hurting Draco like this, and it’s not fair on you risking your friendship with him.”  
“He hurt you pretty bad in fairness”, said Blaise, rubbing the smaller boy’s arm, “He won’t leave me either, I know he’s my best mate and he has been since we where small and everything, but he was wrong to dump you”, he smiled, “You’re alright Harry.”  
Harry gave him a weak smile, “Thanks.”  
“So. Shall we go back in and stage drunkenness to make more headlines or just go and get shit faced for real anyways?” he asked with a grin.  
Harry gave him a wide smile, “Just get shit faced for real.” 

 

_Hehe, I had fun writing this, hoped you had fun reading it!_  
:D  
Reviews? 


	15. Chapter 15 - Second Chance

  
Author's notes: Harry turned and ran from the room. He needed to be as far away from Draco, from anyone, as he could possibly get. He needed to escape.  


* * *

The plan had worked; or at least Harry thought it had.  
The morning after Harry had been to the nightclub, and after several bottles of hangover potion that Hermione had been so sensible to bring him, he was sat having breakfast at the Gryffindor house table; his plate pilled high with sausages, with Ron and Hermione when a large brown tawny owl flew down and landed right in front of Hermione almost knocking over the milk jug. Hermione grabbed it to steady it.   
Tied to its leg was the day’s copy of The Daily Prophet. Hermione quickly paid the owl, putting four bronze Knuts into its leather pouch and ripped the package from its leg, making it screech and take off hurriedly. She unrolled the newspaper with trembling hands and scanned the front page, her eyes roving back and forth rapidly. She then grinned and passed the paper to Harry.  
“I can’t believe you passed-out!” She said, her eyes shining mischievously.  
“I did?” Harry racked his brains. Now he came too think of it he didn’t remember how he got back in Gryffindor tower…he certainly hadn’t walked there, he could barely stand the last thing he remembered.  
Deciding he might find some answers he read:

_Is our golden boy really so golden?_

_Ministry of Magic reporters received a shock in the early hours of this morning upon arriving at the wizarding night club – “Spellbound” – to find non other than our very own golden boy looking quite a far cry from the innocent Gryffindor boy we all knew. Harry Potter, 16, was found dancing with fellow student, Blaise Zabini also 16, of Slytherin._  
Onlookers describe how Potter had been drinking strong alcohol (see picture 5) with another 4 Slytherin friends (not including Mr Zabini) and then participating in some rather erotic dancing. They say that Potter and Zabini seemed very close, and where constantly holding hands, sitting with each other, and even kissing (see picture 6) in plain view of everyone. We asked Potter’s friend Pansy Parkinson, 16, about his relationship with Zabini.  
“So, how long have they been together?” our reporter asked Miss Parkinson.  
“Not long. Only a week or so but they are getting on really well don’t you think?”   
“They seem to be. So is Harry gay?”  
“Oh, no. He is Bi.”  
“We’ve noticed that Harry seems to have developed a new look. What do you think of it?”  
“Me? I love it! He looks gorgeous!” 

_Reporters found Harry Potter himself at the back of the nightclub drinking with his friends some time later. Everyone can agree that this Harry is not the same boy we once knew, he has now piercings in 3 different places, a tattoo, new hair and clothes. (See picture 1) Reporters tried to question Potter himself but Mr Potter promptly passed out on his boyfriends lap before we had chance. We did however question Mr Zabini as he carried Harry back to Hogwarts._  
“Is it true that you and Harry are going out?” asked our reporter.  
“Look buddy, I really need to get him back can you just leave it”, said an annoyed Zabini.  
“How much has he had to drink exactly?”  
“I don’t know! A lot!”  
“You do realize that this isn’t legal Mr Zabini?”  
“That’s exactly why Harry wanted to do it, now back off.”  
(See picture 2, 3 & 4) 

_It seems to be that Harry Potter, once so clean-cut and innocent, has finally unleashed his wild side. Let’s just hope he doesn’t forget that he has a job to do for the Wizarding World._

After reading the paper, a note had landing in front of Harry from Draco.  
Harry had whipped around to look at the Slytherin table to find Draco’s usual place empty already. He read:

_Harry,_  
We need to talk.  
Meet me in the room of requirement as soon as you get this, I’ll be waiting for you.  
Make sure no one sees this, don’t bring anyone, and be quick. 

_Draco_

*

Now sat in the room of requirement, Harry was facing Draco. He had a good feeling about this, but he was nervous and he fidgeted on his sofa. He wasn’t going to be the one to talk first, he was determined. Draco brought HIM here, so could damn well do the talking; but after several very long minutes Harry realized that Draco wasn’t going to talk. He’d better get this started.  
“Are you not going to say anything because it was you that wanted to talk?” said Harry.  
Draco said nothing; he just stared at the floor.  
“Draco?” said Harry, “Earth to Draco?”  
Draco just stared, and Harry clicked his fingers in the air, “Draco?” he said again more quietly. Again Draco did nothing. Now Harry knew something was seriously wrong; he got up off the sofa and edged closer to his ex-boyfriend. As he got close, Harry saw that Draco was crying, silently. Forgetting anything that had happened during the last couple of weeks, Harry flung his arms around Draco’s neck and pulled him in a desperate hug. He was so confused. He felt like he needed Draco, and Draco needed him and that they were only fooling themselves if they though they should be apart, but then maybe they just shouldn’t have been together at all?

Draco pulled Harry right into him and cried unashamedly onto Harry’s shoulder, his hands clawing at Harry’s back.  
“I’m s-sorry!” Draco wailed.  
“Shhh”, soothed Harry, who was crying as well, although not as noisily.  
“I’m such a f-fucking dick!” Draco sobbed, gripping Harry harder.  
Harry didn’t say anything. One side of him said ‘Yeah you are!’ Draco had hurt him badly, and he didn’t know whether he wanted to be here or not. The other side said ‘No you’re not!” Draco was sat here crying his eyes out on Harry’s shoulder; something he would never do in front of anyone, ever! So instead he just held Draco while he cried, rubbing his back just as Hermione had done for him so many times before, whilst making soothing noises to calm Draco down.

He was gorgeous, even when he was crying.   
His grey eyes sparkled silver from the tears, and they gave away every emotion he was feeling. His normally flawless skin now had black streaks from his eyeliner that had run into the tear tracks down his thin face, he just looked beautiful…beautifully broken.  
Harry kissed the top of Draco’s head softly, his eyes wet.  
‘What are we doing?’ a voice inside Harry’s head asked him. Harry didn’t know; here he was in the room of requirement on a Sunday, cuddling his former worst enemy who was crying onto his shoulder, after going out with him, then breaking it off, before Harry had pretended to get together with Blaise Zabini who was another ex-enemy to make Draco jealous, this had maybe or maybe not worked, and now well…as said before, Harry didn’t know, but that voice of reason was right.

Harry gently pushed Draco off him, and the blond eventually stopped his crying. Harry looked him square in the eyes. “What are we doing Draco?” he asked quietly, tears trickling silently down his cheeks.  
“Us?” said Draco, giving a weak chuckle and wiping his eyes, “Fucking things up that’s for sure”, he sighed and looked out of the window, “I’m starting to wonder why you even came.”  
There was a few silent seconds.  
“So am I”, said Harry, quietly. He swiped at his eyes furiously as they started to well up again.   
Draco looked at him sharply, “Really?”  
Harry turned and met his eyes, mentally cursing himself for crying “Really”, he turned away and pushed himself up off the sofa that they had shared and crossed to the window, resting his hands on the sill as he stared out of the pristine glass.

The grounds looked peaceful. The rising sun shined through the few lightly scattered clouds, white and fluffy as they moved gently across the pale blue sky, birds flying free in the autumn air without a care in the world, and the top branches of the trees that made up the forbidden forest waved slightly in the breeze. And in the distance the snow topped mountains, towering over everything in sight so you could see the entire world beneath you if you believed it to be true.  
To Harry it was like another world; one that he couldn’t touch, no matter how much he wanted too. He was here, in this solid stone castle encased in the dark walls and the unforgiving iron window bars, with the stale air, tight rules and regulations, dealing with the problems and expectations thrust upon him that Harry wasn’t even sure he could handle. And he stood, breathing deeply as though willing some of that cold, fresh air too come and fill his lungs and ruffle his hair.  
He’d never wanted so much to be somewhere else.  
He reached out a trembling hand, wishing for the glass to just fall away so he could fly out of this place and leave everything behind him; but it didn’t. His hand pressed against the invisible barrier, cutting Harry off from the place he so desperately wanted to be.

 

“Harry?”   
The tentative voice jerked Harry from his trance, and he lowered his hand from the window, but he didn’t remove his gaze.  
A soft hand reached and touched his shoulder and Harry closed his eyes.  
“Is doesn’t have to be this way you know”, said Draco, quietly.  
Harry could feel something building in his heart at Draco’s softly spoken words; something burning…was it fire?   
No, it was anger.  
His eyes snapped open. “Oh doesn’t it?” said Harry bitterly, “Because last time I checked it was you that decided it did.” The hand on his shoulder withdrew, but Harry still didn’t turn around.  
“I-I”, Draco stammered.  
“Was an arse?” Harry stated, viciously, “Was a twat?”  
“Yes”, said Draco defiantly, “I was; and I’m sorry.”  
“So that makes it ok right?” shouted Harry, whirling around to face the taller boy. He put on a mock baby voice, “Oh sorry Harry that I dumped you. Sorry that I didn’t, and still haven’t, told you why”, Harry made too turn back to the window, but then changed his mind halfway around. He pointed a finger threateningly at Draco who was looking shocked, “You don’t really want me at all. You only want me now because Blaise has me now. If I was on my own you wouldn’t give two shits. You just want what you can’t have”, he whirled back around leaving Draco gaping like a goldfish, “You’re just a spoilt brat.”

“Don’t you even want to hear me out?” Draco choked out at last.  
“No I don’t”, said Harry flatly, staring out of the window, “Because you hurt me Draco. The whole Blaise thing was a ploy to get you back, but now”, Harry shook his head, “I’m not sure I want you back.”  
“A ploy?” Draco repeated faintly.  
“Yes a fucking ploy!” Harry shouted, wheeling back around   
“B-but, you and Blaise. You were kissing and…stuff”, said Draco, his facing hardening at his last word.  
“Blaise is straight, and a brilliant actor”, said Harry simply, crossing his arms, “Surely you must know that.”  
“N-no”, said Draco, weakly, “But that’s irrelevant. Aren’t you going to hear me out?”  
Harry shook his head sadly, and he made towards the door.  
“Where did I go so wrong?” he heard Draco mutter to himself.  
He turned to face Draco slowly and he crept back towards the blond. “Where did you go wrong?” he whispered, his eyes flashing dangerously, “Where did you go wrong!” he hollered, “You fucking dumped me with no explanation just when I though it was going great!”   
Harry turned and ran from the room. He needed to be as far away from Draco, from anyone, as he could possibly get. He needed to escape.  
He heard Draco’s frantic plea of ‘Harry please!” before the door to the room slammed behind him and he took off down the corridor.

 

_Author's Note: So...? Has our Harry had a change of heart?  
Review please if you read._


	16. Chapter 16 - My Heart

  
Author's notes: Harry jumped in shock and almost fell of the roof. He quickly grabbed at the spire of the tower to hold himself up. Turning around after he had steadied himself again, he found Draco Malfoy stood there, with a look of utmost sadness on his face.

* * *

It was midnight at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry and the castle was silent. The moon was full and casting an unearthly glow of white light over the grounds and the forbidden forest, making individual leaves stand out on the many trees that made it.  
The water on the surface of the lake shimmered and pulsed slightly with the wind, like a giant, breathing animal, dozing in its sleep.  
All the students and teachers couldn’t enjoy this spectacular sight as they were all asleep; save for one.  
Atop of the astronomy tower sat a boy of 16, with a slender frame and jet black hair that covered half of his face that the wind had ruffled ever so slightly. His clothes where all black, making it hard to distinguish the different parts of his body, but making his silhouette easily visible against the sky by the light of the moon.  
Harry Potter always came here; and he nearly always was joined by another, but not tonight. He had always liked night better than day. Harry sat alone, thinking through everything that had happened earlier that day.

His mind was a mess – nothing unusual there then, thought Harry bitterly as he repositioned himself on the roof tiles, taking great care so not to slip. Thing was that Harry still liked his usual companion, even though he had just turned him away. Why had the done that? After all that time, just waiting and trying to get Draco back; he had run away, like a coward.  
“Fuck”, Harry muttered, kneading his forehead with his hands.  
“You’ll go to hell for using language like that”, said a quiet voice from behind him.  
Harry jumped in shock and almost fell of the roof. He quickly grabbed at the spire of the tower to hold himself up. Turning around after he had steadied himself again, he found Draco Malfoy stood there, with a look of utmost sadness on his face.  
“Don’t fucking do that!” said Harry. He’d meant to sound angry, but it had come out like a plea and Harry cursed himself for sounding so distressed.  
“Sorry”, said Draco softly as he carefully came and sat next to Harry, leaving a gap between the two of them. They sat in an uncomfortable silence for a while, both staring out at the serene grounds that looked so different from the way they were feeling, until Draco found it necessary to break the tension.  
“It’s beautiful up here isn’t it?” He said gently. Harry nodded even though Draco wasn’t looking at him. It was true though, Harry thought, it really is beautiful. He sighed as he closed his eyes. 

*

They sat for what felt like hours, neither of them talking, but looking and listening as the birds began to wake in time with the rising sun. It sat perfectly in the gap between the tallest mountain that Harry had spent so long looking at, and the rest of the smaller ones. It set out a very different kind of glow from that of the moon, which had been icy and cold while still beautiful. Now the sun cast orange and yellow rays of light over the horizon, it was warm. The birds sang, and Harry felt himself starting to relax.  
He opened his eyes slowly, and looked over at Draco. He looked terrible – his skin that was usually flawless was blotched from what Harry could only assume were tear stains, he looked paler than ever before, and he had dark circles under his eyes.

Harry felt suddenly guilty. Draco had obviously been up all night, probably waiting for Harry to say something, or maybe trying to find the words himself.

“Maybe we should be getting back”, said Harry, looking down at his shoes.  
Draco just shook his head, “Not until you’ve heard me out.”   
“I don’t really want to”, said Harry, not looking at Draco, “Your excuses won’t wash with me.” He made to get up, but Draco pulled him back down by the wrist.  
“I promise you this is not an excuse, I’m not even asking you to take me back I just want you to listen.”  
Harry took a look at Draco’s earnest face, and decided he would let Draco talk. He could always go afterwards and he had nothing to lose anymore by letting him – he didn’t have anything to loose at all. He nodded and Draco let out a breath that he had been holding, then he visibly swallowed.

“I don’t know where to start”, he muttered, scratching his head.  
“Well you’re wasting my time then”, said Harry and he made to get up again, and as he turned around to climb back down the tower.  
“I lied”, Draco shouted suddenly.  
Harry turned back around. He didn’t know what Draco meant. “About what?” he asked curiously. Draco motioned for Harry to sit back down, so he did.  
“About a lot of things”, said Draco, his head bowed and he looked at his hands which were twisting in his lap. He looked up at Harry, “Do you remember that first time got together in that empty classroom?”  
“Of course”, said Harry. How on earth could he forget that? First kiss and all that junk, but he wasn’t sure where Draco was going with this and it unnerved him slightly.  
“Do you remember asking me if I was scared?” asked Draco again, looking back down into his lap.  
“Yeah”, said Harry slowly, “You said no.”  
“I lied”, said Draco, shutting his eyes tight as a single tear gradually made its way down his already tear marked cheeks, “I was absolutely terrified”, Draco gave a great shuddering breath as he looked at Harry, “I was terrified that you’d disown me afterwards, terrified that it was some kind of sick joke, terrified that my father would find out, terrified that he would then tell the Dark Lord and have me killed, terrified that you would tell everyone that I was gay and that you never really liked me at all, and then I was terrified of my feelings for you in the first place!” He turned away and ran a shaking hand through his hair, “God”, Draco muttered desperately.  
“I couldn’t even tell you because I’m a Malfoy and Malfoy’s aren’t aloud to have doubts, or care, or cry, or break down in front of people like I am now. So I shied away from you because I knew I was failing myself as a respectable Malfoy, and failing my family. And I wanted to break it off sooner rather than later before I got more attached to you.” 

Harry sat and gaped. Never had the thought that maybe Draco had had his doubts, he had always been the strong one, hard and unbreakable. He was a Malfoy after all. But then Harry realized, Draco wasn’t like the other Malfoy’s; he wasn’t hard and unbreakable at all, he was just as insecure has Harry himself.  
Draco hadn’t finished yet though.  
“And then I lied about why I broke it off”, He admitted, wiping his eyes, “I said I didn’t think it was a good idea; but I did. You are, sorry…you where, the best thing that had ever happened to me and then of course, I went and fucked it up by letting my insecurities and my fucking family expectations get the better of me. And now I’m paying for it.  
I’m already far too attached to you for me to be able to let you go, and I miss you so much it’s untrue. I can’t eat properly, I can’t sleep, I can’t think and it’s driving me crazy to not be able to touch you or even talk to you. If I’d known this is how I would’ve ended up feeling I would never have broke it off. I’d tell my father to fuck off and stick his fucking rules up his arse because I don’t care about that anymore”, he looked at Harry with an emotion in his eyes that Harry couldn’t quite read, and he held Harry’s hands in his own, “I love you Harry.”

Harry looked away; he was finding it suddenly very hard to breath. Someone actually loved him? Not like a brother or son or anything like that. Someone loved him, for him. Not famous Harry Potter, just him; just Harry. He knew that people loved him, like Sirius had, and his parents, and Ron, Hermione, Mr and Mrs Weasley; but it had never been said. Draco squeezed his and Harry’s still joined hands.  
“I’ve found out that maybe I was wrong, and you know, it’s not so bad to be wrong, yet it’s so hard to admit. I’ve fallen down spectacularly and I’ve taken you with me; I can’t do this alone. I’m not strong enough to carry on with everything without you; with my father, with…everything. Stay with me please Harry”, he paused, “I’m nothing without you.”  
“What are you saying?” Harry asked quietly.  
Draco sighed, “I’m saying my heart is yours, I feel like I’m so connected to you now. It’s hard to think that I once hated you; maybe I never hated you at all. You’ve always been the one to make me feel, to make me let go of myself; you are basically my weakness. So, I’ll give in trying to fight it because now I know it just makes it worse. I need you Harry, I always have. It’s up to you now.”  
Harry stared at Draco. Draco had just given him his whole heart, he loved Harry, and now it was up to Harry what to do. Closing his eyes and breathing in deeply, Harry concentrated his entire mind on the feeling of Draco holding his hand, his soft words replying in his head.  
Opening his eyes ever so slowly, “I think, that just maybe, I might need you too”, he whispered.  
Draco smiled as he leaned forward and pressed the smallest, softest kiss onto Harry’s lips. “Let’s say we start again”, he said quietly.  
“Yeah”, said Harry, smiling for the first time, “Let’s start again.”  
He turned away and they sat hand in hand, waiting for the sun to rise.

 

_Author's Note: Oh my God! I am sooooooo sorry that I didn't update for two days! I stupidly left my memory stick at home so I couldn't post; and what an awful place I left it too! I'm sorry._  
But anyways, it's up now. Hope you liked it and that I'm back in your good books.  
Review? 


	17. Chapter 17 - Every Night's Another Story

  
Author's notes: “I love you too”, Harry whispered, before snuggling down into Draco’s embrace and falling asleep himself.  


* * *

“…and then Dudley was going on about how this snake nearly bit his leg off when it never even touched him”, said Harry, chuckling along with Draco who had been in hysterics after hearing Harry’s tales of turning teacher’s hair blue and various other things, “It was always fun winding the Dursley’s up with my un-naturalness,” Harry face suddenly became dark, “I always paid for it later though”, Harry picked absentmindedly at an imaginary hole in his stripy black and white jeans.  
They where sat in the Room of Requirement in front of a large coal fire that crackled merrily, casting an orange glow over the two teenage boys, who had been sat in their squashy bean bags for well over 3 hours; but as the saying goes, time flies when you’re having fun. Now there was a small amount of tension in the air, and they could both feel it weighing on their lungs. The clock seemed to tick more slowly than it had done before.

“What do you mean?” asked Draco, anxiously.  
Harry quickly looked up, his hand leaving his jeans for the time being. Draco was staring at him, his arms folded over his crossed legs as he leaned forward, his face set.  
“You mean you’ve never heard stories about my relatives?” Harry asked tensely.  
Draco shook his head, but then his brow furrowed. “Well I know that you never liked them much, but that’s about it.”  
Harry sighed; he didn’t really want to go into this right now, but it was sooner or later, and while they were on the subject Harry decide sooner was usually better.  
“Well there are a lot of good reasons why I don’t like them”, said Harry quietly.  
Draco frowned, “Like what?”

Harry suddenly found it very difficult to look Draco in the eyes, and he looked at his shoes, rapidly finding his laces very interesting. “They erm, well…” he picked at the imaginary hole again.  
Draco was looking at him with a concerned expression on his pale face. “Well what?” he asked apprehensively.  
Harry looked up. If he couldn’t tell Draco then he couldn’t really tell anyone; he hadn’t even told Ron and Hermione very much, preferring to keep memories of his previous life to himself. It wasn’t something he liked to talk about.

“Did you ever wonder why I was so skinny and pale for my age in first year?” he asked.  
Draco looked confused. “Yeah”, he said slowly, “But I though you were just a bit scrawny to be honest”, he looked at Harry worriedly, “There’s a reason isn’t there.”  
Harry nodded. “Not many people know but, I spent the first eleven years of my life in the cupboard under the stairs.” He looked down again, feeling ashamed.  
He never admitted that too anyone, nobody.   
Ron and Hermione thought he’d been in Dudley’s second bedroom all his life ever since Ron had rescued him, and Harry hadn’t thought to put them right. Hermione would worry and nag at him about how many other secrets he had kept from them, telling him that he needed to talk about it and keeping it bottled up wasn’t good for his mental health, and Ron would most probably tell his mother who would have a fit, twittering on about how skinny he looked and that it was no wonder he wasn’t very tall. No, it was much better that he’d kept that part to himself.

He looked back up again through his lashes, to see Draco was biting his lip and looking at the floor, obviously deep in thought.  
A voice whispered “Please don’t hate me”, and Harry’s eyes widened. Had he just said that?  
Draco’s head snapped up, to see Harry looking somewhere between shocked and horrified. “How could I hate you?” he asked in a pleading voice, “How could you even think I could?” He stared at Harry in disbelief, “I love you.”  
Harry almost flinched at the words; he didn’t think he could get used to hearing that.  
After years and years of ‘un-natural freak’ and ‘stupid boy’ it was still a little strange to hear it from anyone, let alone Draco Malfoy.  
“Sorry”, said Harry sheepishly, “I didn’t realize I said it.”  
Draco sighed, “It’s bad enough that you even thought it. Why would I hate you for living in a cupboard?”

Harry didn’t really know. It had just slipped out unconsciously. “I don’t know”, he admitted quietly, and then said, “My Uncle used to beat me for being un-natural. He said it was a crime and that everyone hated me because I was a freak. So anything that made me stand out from normal people made me hated because no one likes freaks. Living in a cupboard isn’t normal; so you could hate me for it”, Harry froze; he couldn’t believe all that had just come out of his mouth, he hadn’t even thought about it, and until then he hadn’t known the answer himself.  
He ran a hand through his hair, and he looked at Draco who was looking at him with sadness in those silver eyes. 

Draco got up and slowly made his way over to Harry’s bean bag, upon reaching Harry he dropped down onto his knees and took Harry’s hands in his own. They where soft and smooth and Harry felt all his bad feelings ebb away as Draco stroked the back of Harry’s hand with his thumb.  
“Your not a freak Harry”, he said softly, “I could never hate you”, Draco shook his head, smiling suddenly, “I’ve already said it once and just for you, and I’m prepared to drop my haughty Malfoy manner and say it again. I love you Harry.” He kissed the back of Harry’s hand, and Harry felt his skin tingle as the warmth of Draco’s lips covered it, “And I want to show you just how much, if you want too.”  
Did Draco mean what Harry thought he meant?  
“What are you asking?” Harry asked, his own lips forming a small smile.   
“Well” said Draco, smirking slightly “That was my subtle and admittedly better version of ‘do you want a good shag?’ Harry.”

Harry laughed, he couldn’t help it really. Not that he cared to admit it, but he had been wanting Draco to say that for a very long time.  
Draco quirked an elegant eyebrow at his giggling boyfriend, trying to suppress a laugh himself, as you simply do not laugh at your own jokes.  
“Yes please!” said Harry, laughing as he launched himself at Draco, wrapping his arms around the blonds’ neck and giving him a huge kiss on the forehead.  
“Right then Scar head”, said Draco jokingly, kissing Harry quickly on the nose, “Your wish is my command.”

Draco closed his eyes, and Harry did the same as Draco pulled Harry tightly against him, and they both felt the floor beneath them changing. It was softer and fluffier, and Harry could feel the light dimming outside his closed eyelids.  
Opening his eyes very slowly, Harry gasped at what he saw.  
He and Draco where no longer sat on the bare wooden floorboards in front of the fire, with their bean bags behind them; they where now sat on the thickest, cream carpet Harry had ever seen, directly in front of the biggest four-poster bed imaginable.  
At a guess, Harry would’ve said it was like two king-sized bed’s pushed together. It was covered in a thick cream duvet with green hangings on the posts, and green throws and cushions on the end of it.  
Next to the bed where some small candles, and looking around, Harry discovered they where the only source of light in the room. Standing up slowly, and breaking his contact with Draco, Harry slowly moved off to the bedside table on which the candles where stood. He had spotted some suspicious looking jars and upon further inspection he had found them to be pots of lube; lots and lots of it.  
Harry realized that Draco had been expecting them to have a few rounds. He smiled.

Harry sighed as he felt two gentle hands on either side of his waist, and Draco kissed the neck of his neck lightly, making Harry shiver.  
Turning around in Draco’s light grip he asked, “Are we really going to need that much lube?”  
“Oh yes”, replied Draco with a grin as he lent forward to capture Harry’s lips with his own. It was short and sweet, a promise of later things to come.  
“Best get on with it then”, Harry whispered against Draco’s lips. He pushed forward, their lips meeting in a passionate kiss. Draco slid his tongue along Harry’s bottom lip, asking for entrance which Harry immediately gave him. He kiss deepened as Draco’s tongue found its way inside Harry’s mouth, licking over his teeth sending shivers down Harry’s spine.  
He thrust his own tongue into Draco’s mouth, remembering every curve and crevice of the warm, wet expanse in front of him and he moaned as he felt Draco’s hand move to grip the curve of his arse, pushing him and their building erections together.

Harry snaked his hand up the back of Draco’s top, loving the feel of soft skin beneath his fingertips, the other fisting in Draco’s soft platinum locks. Draco gave a soft whimper against Harry’s lips and Harry moved his hand around Draco’s front, teasing with feather light touches over his abdomen.   
Draco broke the kiss long enough to say, “I want you Harry”, as he slowly began unzipping the front of Harry’s jacket. He pressed their foreheads together while they undressed each other slowly. He pushed Harry’s jacket from his arms, letting it fall too the floor where it was quickly joined by Draco’s t-shirt that Harry had pulled over his head. Harry sighed contentedly as he ran his hands up and down Draco’s completely hairless chest, feeling the small but firm muscles acquired from years of Quidditch practices. He’d never loved Quidditch more than he did now.

Harry gasped as he felt small, warm hands lightly tickling his stomach as they lifted the hem of his t-shirt. He quickly pressed his lips back to Draco’s as a sign that he was ready for this and he wanted his to happen. He put enough space between himself and Draco for Draco to lift his top properly, and his broke the kiss for a second so that Draco could pull his top over his head, before claiming those pink lips as his own again, nipping softly and making Draco moan quietly against him.

Draco pulled away from him, smiling, “I can feel your piercing when you kiss me”, he said, dreamily.  
“I’ll take it out if you want”, said Harry softly, before moving down to nip at Draco’s neck making him squirm.  
“No”, breathed Draco, “I like it.” He put his hand in Harry’s hair, pulling the Gryffindor upwards to kiss him once more. It was slow and gentle but Harry wanted more. He reached down to tease with the waistband of Draco’s trousers, before slowly undoing the button and zip.   
Draco’s breathing was becoming laboured, and he pulled away from Harry muttering, “Damn jeans.” He pulled his wand out of his back pocket and gave it a wave, making his black jeans disappear in a spilt second. Smirking, he did the same for Harry, leaving them both in their boxers. Harry stared at Draco, or rather a certain very obvious part of Draco. His erection was straining against his boxers and a small wet patch had formed at the front, and Harry knew for a fact that he was the same.

Unable to wait any longer, Draco placed a hand on Harry’s smooth, bare chest and pushed him backwards until the back of Harry’s claves hit the bed frame.  
“You’re sure you want to do this?” he asked, breathlessly.  
“Fuck, yes”, Harry gasped, pulling Draco down on top of him as they fell backwards onto the bed, their lips meeting in a furious kiss.   
After several minutes of their tongues battling, sweeping touches, and passionate kissing, Draco pulled back from Harry, a thin layer of sweat coating both of their bodies.  
“Move into the middle”, he instructed, his voice coming in gasps.  
Harry did as he was told and lay himself out in the middle, panting. He watched as Draco came and sat right next to him.

Draco swallowed, “You should know, I’ve never done this before”, he said worriedly.  
Harry reached up and trailed a light finger over Draco’s collar bone, “Neither have I”, he whispered, as he hooked his hand around the back of Draco’s head, pulling him down for a gentle and loving kiss. As they pulled apart, their eyes met.  
“Top or Bottom?” Draco asked with a cheeky grin.  
Harry smacked him lightly on the arm, “You choose”, he said with a smile.  
Draco smiled back, “You can stay were you are then.”   
He straddled Harry’s hips, pinning him down with his knees as he wound a finger in wiggling lines up and down Harry’s chest. He hooked his fingers under the elastic waistband on Harry’s boxers, pushing them down slender hips with his thumbs. He pulled them the rest of the way down, getting up to get them over Harry’s thighs, claves, ankles and feet, before throwing them onto the floor with the rest of their clothes.

 

He stared at Harry, who was now fully naked and whispered, “You’re beautiful”, he bent his down, and nipped and licked gently at the flesh on the inside of Harry’s thigh, making the brunette buck his hips, only to find Draco pinning them down again with his knees.  
Harry grabbed Draco’s head and pulled him up to meet him in a deep kiss, their lips mashing together in pure bliss. Harry carefully slid his hand, while still kissing Draco, into the taller boy’s boxers, his hand fastening around the hot, hard length. Gasping, Draco broke away from Harry, only to find the other boy pushing his boxers down his legs with a grin on his face. Impatiently, he kicked them off the rest of the way, where they joined Harry’s on the floor.

He sat back down onto Harry and their erections ground together, making them both moan as they moved together, sweating and shaking.  
“I’m not guna’ last if you keep doing that”, Draco gasped as Harry trust upwards.  
Harry just grinned at him, grinding his erection against Draco’s, as he groped blindly for the lube that he had previously spotted there. He grabbed it and shoved it into Draco’s hand, which he had to pull from his arse first, “Come on then”, He whispered against Draco’s ear, making the blond tremble. Draco nodded and sat up, flipping his leg over Harry so that he could turn over.  
Harry piled up a load of cushions in front of him to rest on, while Draco dipped his fingers into the pot then smeared it up and down his fingers, coating them all. He scooped out some more and smothered it at Harry’s entrance.  
Harry was surprised he hadn’t come there and then at the feel of Draco’s fingers, gently easing him open, first one finger, and then two stretching him open. Just as Draco added a third finger, Harry bit down on his lip to stop himself making a sound, it felt so fucking good. Then suddenly the fingers withdrew, and Harry whimpered at the loss of contact.

He looked over his shoulder to see Draco smothering his cock with lube, ready for Harry, and Harry wished that was him doing that to Draco. It was hot.  
Turning back, Harry felt the bed dip down behind him as Draco parted his legs ever so slightly more so he could sit in between them.  
“Ready?” asked Draco, his hands gripping Harry’s hips as he lined himself up.  
Taking a deep breath Harry answered, “Ready.” He braced himself as he felt Draco pushing inside him, slowly stretching him as his cock buried deeper and deeper, and Draco’s nails dug into his hips as he tried to gain composure.  
“Alright?” asked Draco.   
“Yeah,” Harry panted. His wiggles his hips experimentally, feeling the slight burning at his entrance as Draco pulled back out of him very slowly.

Very slowly, they started to get a rhythm. They rocked backwards and forwards together, Draco’s groin meeting Harry’s arse with each stroke. Draco lent forward, kissing Harry on the ear as he started to pump faster.  
Harry went into sensory overdrive, feeling Draco’s hard length along the walls of his channel deep inside him, touching him where no one had ever touched him before.  
“Oh fuck…Draco”, he gasped, one of his hands reaching to touch himself in time with Draco’s thrusts, “Please…faster!”  
Draco did as he was told, leaning back and gripping Harry’s hips harder as he pumped faster and harder, driving all the way into Harry.  
He angled his hips, hitting Harry’s prostrate and Harry cried out, “Draco!” as his eyes rolled backwards into his head.  
“Fuck Harry”, Draco gasped, his thrust becoming more frantic, “So…fucking…good!”  
Harry moaned feeling himself nearing climax as Draco gave a few more hard thrusts, hitting his prostrate every time.   
“Fuck…harder…faster”, were the only decipherable words coming from Harry now, who had been reduced to a writhing mess on the mattress. Draco pumped harder, thrusting his hips forward as he slammed into Harry.  
Unable to hold on any longer, Harry screamed “Draco!” as he came, hard into his own hand, covering the mattress in thick white come. Harry’s muscles tightening around his was too much for Draco and any control he had left vanished as he came deep inside Harry, before collapsing at his side panting.

“Fuck!” Harry gasped, his breathing ragged.  
Draco just nodded; he pulled Harry close up against him and dragged the covers over them both before grabbing his wand and muttering a quick cleaning charm.  
Draco kissed Harry on the forehead muttering, “I love you”, before falling asleep almost instantly. Harry looked at Draco, his hair spread out on the pillow, smiling softly as he slept.   
“I love you too”, Harry whispered, before snuggling down into Draco’s embrace and falling asleep himself.

 

_Author's Note: They did it, at long last, and this was the first sex scene I ever wrote, so let me know whether it was good or not._  
Hopefully it was good.  
So, probably my chapter so far. Reviews? 


	18. Chapter 18 - Don't Sleep

  
Author's notes: “I haven’t forgiven you yet Ron”, said Harry softly. He pulled his arm out of Ron’s slackened grip. Getting up, he saw Ron’s eyes well up and the red-head blinked the tears back.   
Turning away from Ron, Harry said sadly, “There’s nothing you can do.”   


* * *

Harry groaned as he woke up, blinking his eyes slowly against the bright sunlight that flooded in through the window. Shifting a little he felt a warm body pressed up against his own. Draco was next to him, breathing warm air softly in his ear, one arm flung over Harry’s side and one of his legs tangled in between Harry’s.  
Harry smiled, thinking he could definitely get used to waking up like this.  
Carefully, Harry pulled away from Draco as so not to wake him, and he grabbed for his wand which had mysteriously appeared on the bedside table. The room clearly knew what he wanted, Harry thought sleepily. He performed a quick spell and was shocked to find that it was half-past eleven. Forgetting his earlier praise of the room, he cursed it for not giving them an alarm clock. He shot up, his arse aching painfully, and waking his sleeping boyfriend in the process.

Draco gave a small, very un-manly yelp from the bed and sat up quickly.   
Harry thought he looked so cute, his eyes shocked, the bed covers now only covering up what was decent, and his hair rumpled in a way that Harry would describe as ‘sex hair’.   
Draco looked wildly around until his eyes settled on Harry, who was stood at the side of the bed, then his eyes moved down Harry’s body before stopping suddenly.  
“Hoping for another round then?” he asked, with a small smile.  
Harry quickly looked down, and then blushed furiously as he realized that he wasn’t wearing anything. He quickly covered himself and stared around at the floor for his boxers, completely humiliated.  
“For Gods sake Harry, it’s nothing I haven’t seen before”, said Draco, albeit affectionately, “You can stay like that for me”, he added with a wink.

Harry sat back down on the bed, giving up his search for now.  
“I can’t. We over slept”, said Harry grimly.  
Draco groaned and let himself fall back onto his pillows with a small ‘flump’. He rubbed at his eyes with his hands wearily, “By how much?” he asked, as though dreading the answer.  
“Errrm”, said Harry, as he tried to work it out; maths never had been his strong point. Giving up he said, “Well its half-past eleven now.”  
“What!?” Draco yelped, jumping up out of bed just as Harry had done, “Snape will flay us alive!” He ran around to Harry’s side of the bed, still naked, where most of their clothes had been haphazardly discarded the previous night in a flurry of passion and longing. He pulled Harry up and gave him a quick hug and kiss.   
“As much as I’d like to spend today looking after you we’d better move quickly”, he said, “How’re you feeling?”   
“A bit sore”, Harry admitted, but after seeing Draco’s worried face added, “But nothing I can’t handle”, he chuckled at Draco’s even now concerned face, “Honestly, I’m fine”, he kissed Draco on the mouth, pushing his tongue in ever so slightly and wrapping his arms around the blond’s back.

Reluctantly pulling back, Harry gazed at Draco with misty eyes, “I think we should get dressed.”  
Draco nodded his head and he and Harry began searching for their own clothes in the sea of material that was scattered on the carpet.  
“Err Draco?” Harry said, anxiously.   
“Yeah”, said Draco, standing up straight and looking over his shoulder at Harry, who was biting his lower lip.  
“Where are my boxers?” he asked, uneasily.  
“Err. I um, I don’t know”, Draco mumbled, looking around “I just chucked them on the floor with the rest.”  
He and Harry set about gathering all of their clothes and setting them in neat piles on the bed, making sure the pants hadn’t simply been overlooked, which would’ve been an easy mistake to make in the mass of clothing.  
“Shit”, Draco muttered, as he looked at the now empty floor.  
Harry looked like he was going to panic. “What am I going to do? I don’t have time to go back to the dorm.”  
“You’re just going to have to go commando then”, said Draco, trying not to laugh at the look of horror on Harry’s blushing face, but he couldn’t help it; he giggled.

*

How Harry managed to stay awake all the way through potions, he would never know, although it could’ve been the fact that Snape had been breathing down the back of his neck with even more of his snide comments than usual.  
He just managed to stay awake through lunch too, with Ron’s constant waffling (even though his mouth was full) about Quidditch next to him, and Harry just about getting away with answering in ‘umm’s and ‘uhuh’s with Ron. He had excused himself from this thrilling conversation to go back to the dorms to finally get some boxers.   
Draco had found this hilarious, and he had been watching Harry all day with a knowing smile on his face.

Now in Transfiguration, Harry was just about ready to fall asleep.  
He didn’t have a clue what Professor McGonagall was talking about, and quite frankly, he didn’t care. He just wanted to go back to bed, with Draco, and sleep.  
He folded his arms and rested his head on them, sighing.  
His eyes felt heavy. I’ll just shut them for a little while, Harry told himself, letting his eyes close at last.

Taking his head from his arms and opening his eyes, Harry suddenly felt much better. He looked to his right after he heard someone hissing his name, to see Draco beckoning him with a wave of his hand, mouthing ‘come on’  
Harry glanced swiftly at Professor McGonagall who had her back to the class, writing something on the black board, and then at Ron and Hermione who both seemed to be listening with rapt attention to Harry’s surprise.  
Ducking quickly down behind his desk when he thought no one was looking, Harry crawled along the floor to Draco who had crouched down too. Draco held a finger to his lips and gave Harry a ‘lets go have some fun’ type look.

Slipping quickly out of the open classroom door, Harry straightened up and Draco grabbed him by the hand. They ran down the silent corridor, their footsteps strangely quiet too, down flights of stairs and out to the oak front doors.  
They eased them open, Draco leading Harry out into the grounds which, were again, eerily noiseless. Harry looked around, and everything seemed to be in slow motion, the grass blowing, and the way Draco’s fringe blew when he turned to face Harry. He was laughing, but Harry couldn’t hear a sound.  
He was starting to get a bit scared. Had he gone deaf?

Draco pulled into to the edge of the forbidden forest, dancing in between the trees like a child, the light setting a glow on his face so he looked like an angel.  
But as Draco turned to Harry’s face, Harry saw a flash of red in his eyes. Stopping dead in his tracks, Harry stared.  
“Draco?” he asked, but no sound came out.  
Draco was looking at him, with something that looked like hunger in his scarlet eyes. Harry backed away, and he tripped over a tree root, flinging out an arm to break his fall. Draco was advancing on him, a malicious grin on his pale face, and suddenly Draco was shaking him and whispering frantically.  
“Harry.”  
What on earth was going on? The sound was gradually coming back.  
“Harry!” someone was shouting, the voice didn’t match Draco. Who was this?  
“Harry mate wake up!”

Harry opened his eyes, but all he could see was black. Someone was shaking him, and calling his name.  
His head snapped up, to see Professor McGonagall and the entire class all looking at him. They didn’t look impressed.  
He looked to his left to find the person shaking him was Ron, no mistaking that ginger hair. “What?” he asked groggily.  
“You fell asleep mate”, Ron muttered.  
Shit, Harry thought. Sitting up straight he looked back to the front.   
“Now you’ve decided to join us again Mr Potter”, said Professor McGonagall sternly, “My I ask, what exactly kept you up so late last night that you managed to fall asleep in my class?”  
Double shit, thought Harry, “I-I, errr”, Harry stammered.  
Professor McGonagall gave him one of her sternest looks, “If you cannot explain yourself Mr Potter then I am afraid it is detention.”  
Harry shook his head wearily, “Sorry Professor.”  
“You will see me tomorrow in my office at 8 o’clock”, she said briskly, turning back to the board.   
Harry rubbed at his eyes tiredly. Today wasn’t his day.

 

After a disastrous afternoon with Professor Trelawny, who still insisted in predicting his premature death every other lesson, Harry had never been so glad it was the end of the day as when he finally flopped onto one of the squashy sofas in the Gryffindor Common Room. This happiness however didn’t last long.  
Stalking towards him, was a very annoyed looking Ron Weasley. Perfect.  
Ron threw himself down next to Harry and turned abruptly to face him.  
“Where did you go last night?” he demanded.  
“No where”, said Harry wearily, he really wasn’t in the mood to deal with Ron at the moment, and he couldn’t be arsed to make up a story.  
“Don’t lie to me Harry”, said Ron, hotly, “I thought we were best friends”, sliding down the couch, Ron’s voice suddenly adopted a much softer tone, “Sorry, Ginny’s just been winding me up.”  
Harry gave a non-committal jerk of his head, gesturing for Ron to continue.  
“You can tell me you know”, said Ron, softly.  
Turning to face Ron for the first time since he sat down, Harry said, “The thing is though Ron; I can’t.”  
“Why not?” Ron asked, looking confused.  
“Because I just can’t”, Harry muttered, picking at the stitching in his jeans.  
Ron sighed, “Look I know I can be a jerk and everything but I’m trying you know. I’m so sorry about what I said that day; I don’t think I’ve ever regretted anything more”, he scratched his head, looking for the words, “I hope it can be the same between us you know, I feel like I’ve ruined it forever. You don’t talk to me about anything anymore, we don’t even laugh about stuff as much as we used too. You seem to have more conversations with Neville.”  
He sighed again. Ron never had been good with words, thought Harry.  
“Look, whatever it is, I won’t mind.”  
Harry snorted. Ron obviously had no clue what so ever, because if Harry predicted this, and it didn’t take Professor Trelawny to work it out, Ron would blow his top. “You’ll fucking mind.”  
Ron’s face fell a bit. “It’s that big?”  
Harry shook his head, laughing softly, “Yeah it’s big.” He thought for a while. He couldn’t see a good outcome from any angle.  
“There’s no way in hell you’d ever accept me, knowing where I’ve been and what I’ve been doing since I started back here. I’m not the same person you first made friends with Ron. I don’t have the same opinions anymore. I’ve changed a bit over the summer, and I personally don’t mind this person who I’ve become, but I know you’re the same old Ron, which means you’re not going to like it; so just leave it, things are bad enough as it is”, he started to get up, but Ron pulled him back down.  
“What do you mean, ‘things are bad enough as they are’?” he asked, “I’ve said sorry, what else can I do?”   
“I haven’t forgiven you yet Ron”, said Harry softly. He pulled his arm out of Ron’s slackened grip. Getting up, he saw Ron’s eyes well up and the red-head blinked the tears back.   
Turning away from Ron, Harry said sadly, “There’s nothing you can do.” 

 

_Author's Note: Hope you liked that chapter, because, unfortunately, I'm taking a break, and I won't be posting for a few days._  
Really sorry guys!  
Anyway, review while i'm here! 


	19. Chapter 19 - Tell Me 'Bout It

  
Author's notes: “That’s where you’ve been every night isn’t it”, Ron said flatly, shaking his head sadly, before looking at Harry and whispering, “Why didn’t you just tell me?”  


* * *

It had been over a month since Harry and Draco’s first time in the Room of Requirement, and there had been many more times since.  
Everything was going well for Harry except this one thing that Harry just couldn’t forget about; this thing that Harry just couldn’t shake off - it was Ron. He felt insanely guilty every time he remembered Ron’s heartbroken face, after he’d told Ron that he hadn’t forgiven him. The red-head himself had been looking crestfallen and somewhat miserable ever since, the way he picked at his food, was always dazing off into the fire, and was always reluctant to talk to Harry alone.  
Harry had decided that enough as enough. He missed Ron as a best friend and he wanted to set things right. He’d tried to just forget about it, but every time he tried, somehow, it all came rushing back to him.

All he could see as Ron’s face, angry and twisted as he roared in Harry’s face. “Well I’d rather be that than a Slytherin like you!”  
Harry shook his head, trying to rid himself of the memory that still left his throat tight and stomach coiled. Ron was sorry for what he had said, and Harry knew that, he’d just been angry; but it still hurt nevertheless.

It was dark in the dormitory, and the moon was shining brightly through the windows.  
Getting up from his place on his four poster bed, Harry kicked back the covers and padded the few feet to Ron’s bed.  
Ron was asleep, and Harry could hear his snores through the hangings on his bed, but Harry didn’t care. Even though he knew it was only himself that was stopping them from carrying on as normal, he felt as though he should at least talk to Ron about it.  
He wanted to settle this with Ron right here, right now.

Gently pulling at the divide in Ron’s curtains, Harry pulled them back to see Ron sleeping in a very different way from what was usual.  
Ron was normally spread out, his covers falling onto the floor and his snoring very loud, but now he was curled in a tight ball, the covers tucked under his chin and his snoring very soft.   
Harry tentatively reached out and gently prodded Ron in the shoulder. Nothing happened. Harry tried again, poking a little harder and again there was nothing. Harry huffed. At least some things didn’t change; Ron always had been a heavy sleeper.  
Losing some patience, Harry grabbed Ron’s shoulder and shook it roughly.  
Ron opened an eye, and promptly shut it again, mumbling, “’is too early.”  
Harry prodded Ron’s head, and Ron opened both of his blue eyes, “’was tha’ matter?” he groaned, pushing himself up slightly as he yawned.  
“I want to talk to you”, said Harry quickly, getting down to business.  
“Later”, Ron mumbled, his head falling back onto his pillow with a ‘flump’ and turning back on his side, his back to Harry.  
“No now!” Harry insisted, jabbing Ron hard in the arse. That made Ron sit up with a yelp.  
“Oww!” he moaned, rubbing his arse under the covers.   
“Stop being such a pussy”, said Harry, irritably, “I want to talk to you.”  
Ron looked at Harry strangely, as though deciding if he could put up with the emotional strain of it all. He looked very apprehensive, and was biting his bottom lip worriedly.  
“Sorry”, said Harry, his shoulders drooping slightly, “I’m just a bit tense, is all.”  
Ron was still watching him, slightly tense, as though unsure of what to do.  
“You guna’ budge up?” asked Harry, smiling.  
Ron rolled his eyes, and for a moment it was just like old times, before he sat and shuffled to the far side of his bed, holding up the covers for Harry to slide in.

Once he was sat next to Ron, the covers up to his waist, Harry turned on his side slightly to look at Ron, who looked uncomfortable.  
“Doesn’t this feel a bit, odd to you?” asked Ron, his eyebrows furrowing.  
“No”, said Harry simply.  
Ron shifted, “I hope no one wakes up”, he peered at the other bed’s, all of which the curtains where shut, and snoring could be heard from behind them.  
“They won’t”, said Harry.  
Ron just looked at him, “You don’t know that.”  
Harry smiled at him, “No I don’t. But I don’t care if they do, you’re my best friend and I’m talking to you.”  
“What do you want to talk about?” Ron said, sighing.  
Harry’s smile dropped as Ron looked away from him. Best get this over with, he thought. “You know what”, he mumbled, “About what you said that day.”  
Ron shifted uncomfortably again, “What about what I said?”  
“Why did you say it?” Harry asked, sadly.  
Ron rubbed his face tiredly, and ran a hand through his ginger hair making it stand on end. “I don’t know”, he muttered, “I was really angry and I wasn’t thinking straight. I didn’t mean it.”  
Harry studied Ron’s face, he looked thoroughly depressed, “I know you didn’t mean it, but there is truth in everything; even in lies.” 

Ron looked at Harry, and there were tears in his eyes, “It’s just that, well…” Ron sniffed, “I’ve been brought up knowing that being in Slytherin is a bad thing. Then you come out with the fact that you should’ve been there and it messes me up a bit. Then there was the fact that you’d just told Malfoy of all people. And I just thought, for a moment, that you were basically choosing him over me; I don’t know why you didn’t in first year. There’s me with my hand-me-downs, ginger hair, freckles, tall and gangly, huge family and no money; or Malfoy with his huge house, lots of money, good looks, nice clothes, pretty much anything he wants and powerful father.” Ron took a deep breath. 

“I felt betrayed. You’d told him, your enemy, something that you didn’t feel you could tell me and it felt awful to know that you’d kept that from me for all that time. But yet you told him”, Ron wiped his nose on the sleeve of his too small, blue and white striped pyjamas.  
Harry sat in silence. He’d never thought of it like that, and now that he did, he realized that Ron must have been just as hurt as he had been himself. He’d felt betrayed too; and it was awful.

“So then it all just came out”, Ron finished, pathetically, “And I hate myself for saying that”, Ron blinked back some fresh tears that were already making their way down his pale and freckled cheeks, “I feel like, ever since your…change if you like, I’ve been going horribly wrong. And it frightens me to think that I could loose you as a friend. Everything I say is the wrong thing, and I keep pushing you away. You where right, things are bad,” Ron looked away.  
“I don’t want them to be anymore”, Harry murmured, “I want to fix things right now so we can be back to normal. I’ve really missed you mate.  
“You see the thing is, as I’ve said, I’ve changed a lot and I think there are some things you need to know. Well one thing in particular.”  
Ron looked up hopefully and Harry took a deep breath to steady his nerves, now or never.   
“Well I’m just going to come out with it Ron; I’m bisexual and I am in a relationship”, taking another deep breath in and out again, Harry’s head was spinning as Ron looked down into his lap. This was the big thing, not the biggest; he wasn’t ready to tell Ron that yet, but big, “With a boy.”  
Ron tensed slightly, and Harry cringed, waiting with bated breath for that look of disgust and the shouting that he was sure was coming, but it never came.  
“That’s where you’ve been every night isn’t it”, Ron said flatly, shaking his head sadly, before looking at Harry and whispering, “Why didn’t you just tell me?”  
He was sure that if Ron had to be upset about anything, it would be the fact that Harry was with a boy; but no, the thing that had upset Ron the most, was the fact that Harry hadn’t told him; and that struck Harry more than words could explain.

Tears springing to his eyes, and Harry threw himself at Ron, wrapping his arms around Ron’s neck and hugging him tightly while he laughed tears of giddy relief.  
It was okay.  
Ron had tensed, but he soon relaxed and rubbed Harry’s back.   
“What’s up mate?” he asked quietly.  
Harry pulled back, grinning from ear to ear, crying tears of happiness, “Nothing”, he chuckled, “I’m just really happy”, he hugged Ron again, “I was so sure you where going to hate me”, he whispered into Ron’s neck.  
Ron hugged him back fiercely, “I could never hate you Harry. You’re my best mate, and you always will be, no matter what you are or what you do.”  
Harry just laughed into Ron’s neck, feeling lighter than air, as though a great weight has been lifted of his chest; one he didn’t even know he’d been carrying.

Ron patted his back awkwardly for a while until Harry pulled away, beaming.  
Ron grinned at him, “I’m happy for you mate, really.”  
Harry continued to beam, “Thanks, you’ve no idea how much I needed you to say that”, he wiped his eyes on his sleeve, “Look at me, crying like a bloody girl”, he chuckled.  
Ron laughed, “What does that make me then?”  
Harry smacked him on the arm, smiling, “That’s not what I meant.”  
“I know, I know!” said Ron, holding up his hands.  
Harry just grinned at him. 

“So, who is the lucky man?” asked Ron, waggling his eyebrows.  
“I can’t tell you yet”, said Harry and Ron’s face fell a little, “I’ll have to ask first if it’s okay. And I’d like you to meet him when we tell, well you already know him but he’s a very different person from what you might think”, Harry winked.  
Ron looked happier at this answer and then added jokingly, “It’s not Crabbe is it, and he’s actually cleverer?”  
“Erugh!” shouted Harry, smacking Ron on the arm a little harder than the first time, “No!”, he cringed, “Eww, I’m going to have nasty mental images now thanks a lot!”, he stuck out his tongue in distaste.  
Ron laughed at him, “Sorry, but I have to say this; you look so gay when you do that!”   
Harry looked at his lap and chuckled, “Sorry about that in Diagon Alley, I totally over-reacted. I think I was just in denial.”  
Ron shrugged, “It’s understandable, but about the Crabbe thing I was joking. I know you’ve got better standards than that!”  
Harry looked at him, “I hope you still say that later on.”  
Ron looked confused, then his expression quickly changed to horrified, “It can’t get worse than Crabbe…oh my god it’s not Goyle is it?!”   
Harry shook his head and full blown whacked Ron around the back of his own head. “NO! Gods Ron, what do you take me for? I need contacts but I’m not blind!”  
Ron sniggered, but rubbed his head gingerly, “Could’ve fooled me.”, Harry raised his hand again and Ron yelled, “Alright, alright! Joking!”  
Harry smirked at him, “Good”, then he smiled a proper smile, “I’ve missed this you know.”  
Ron nodded, “Yeah, tell me about it.”

Harry pondered this for while; he really did miss their usual banter and play fights. He hadn’t even realized how much.  
“Although I don’t really miss sitting next too you at the dinner table, your eating habits are disgusting”, Harry said, wrinkling his nose, and swinging his legs out of the side of Ron’s bed.  
Ron shrugged, “Sorry”, he muttered, in a half-arsed sort of way.  
Harry got up and was just about to close the curtains before he said with a small smile, “You’re forgiven.”

 

_Author's Note: Sorry about the delay, and I'm afraid I have some more bad news._  
*winces at reader's shouts of protest*  
Yeah, I know, I'm sorry.  
The thing is, most of this was pre-written, but now I'm running out of chapters, and I don't write as quickly as I post, therefore, we are going to get delays.  
So, I was thinking, insted of me posting all these chapters and then you having to wait agggggees for the next, that I would make the gaps longer in between these chapters, and then hopefully get my writing done for you.  
I know, I know, it's not ideal. 

_So, sorry everyone.  
The new updates are going to be one a week, or maybe more depending on how much time I have for writing. Sorry._

_But anyway, moving on...how was this chapter for you?  
Reviews?_


	20. Chapter 20 - Even Fairy Tale Characters Would Be Jealous

  
Author's notes: Smiling, he turned on his heel and strode down the steps to the dungeons, leaving a gaping Ron stood alone, “Night Ron.”  


* * *

Stopping directly outside of where he knew the Room of the Requirement lay, Harry James Potter, clad in tight black jeans with rips in the knees and a plain white t-shirt, took a deep breath as he starting pacing back and forth along the blank stretch of corridor where he knew the door would appear, thinking over and over ‘I need a place to meet Draco in private’ with his green, black lined eyes closed.  
He paused after three paces, listening intently as he heard the tell tale rumbling of movement, as the door made itself visible in the rough stone wall.   
Opening his eyes, Harry stepped forward, placing both hands on the large wooden door that had appeared there, and pushing hard to shift the heavy door open.

Stepping inside, he hurriedly shut the door and pushed his jet black fringe out of his eyes, turning back around as he did so.  
He looked around; the room looked pretty much the same as it did every night – save for the usual king sized bed that had been put through its paces many times after their arrival. Instead were two large armchairs, decked in the deep greens and whites that they had been so accustomed too, in front of a crackling fire.  
Harry walked across the room silently, noticing that Draco hadn’t arrived yet, and dropped himself neatly into the furthest armchair with a sigh.

He need some time to talk to Draco today, no fooling around, no kissing, and no sex; he was going to get straight to it, and have it over with.  
Now that he had forgiven Ron, he had every intention of keeping his promise and introducing him to Draco – not Malfoy, the arrogant git who had made their lives living hell ever since first year, no; he was introducing him to Draco, Harry’s boyfriend who was nothing like Malfoy, the Draco that was kind, loving and extremely grateful for having Harry. Not to mention sexy as hell and a bloody great shag, but Harry thought it best if he kept those thoughts to himself. It didn’t take a genius to know that however accepting Ron may or may not be there were some things he just didn’t need to know.

Leaning back in his chair, Harry waited patiently for Draco to arrive. He hadn’t seen the blond all day and he knew Draco would’ve been worried when he hadn’t turned up at breakfast that morning. He watched the fire for a while, eyes glazed over as it crackled and danced, sparks flying at random intervals, leaving trails in the air like shooting stars. Harry was so absorbed that he didn’t notice the door creak open, as a certain blond head poked around it. The figure crept around the edge of the room, keeping to the shadows to hide his face, and only sneaked into the light when he was directly behind Harry’s chair. Ducking down, he tip toed to the side of which Harry’s head was turned, still unnoticed by the day-dreaming Gryffindor. Holding back a laugh at his oblivious boyfriend, he popped up suddenly and planted a kiss on Harry’s lips, making Harry scream in the un-manliest fashion and jump about a foot in the air.

“Jesus fucking Christ Draco!” Harry gasped a hand over his frantically beating heart and looking down at a cackling Draco, who was rolling around on the floor with tears streamed down his pale cheeks, “Are you trying to kill me?”  
Draco shook his head, holding his rib cage as he gasped for air.  
Harry huffed and crossed his arms indignantly over his chest, sticking out his bottom lip like a child who couldn’t have any ice-cream. So much for ‘kind’, thought Harry, annoyed. But then he took a look at Draco, his blond hair spread out on the floor as he laughed with the biggest smile Harry had ever seen on his face, and he couldn’t help but smile. He could never stay mad for long.

Harry unfolded his arms and dropped to the floor on his knees next to Draco. He gently prodded Draco’s shoulder as his boyfriend continued to laugh uncontrollably, his back shaking. “Draco?” asked Harry, giving him another prod.  
Draco stopped laughing just long enough to open his streaming eyes, took one look at Harry and then promptly shut them again and he snorted as he doubled up laughing.  
Huffing again, Harry sat back on his heels, looking around the room for some sort of inspiration to stop Draco’s continual hysterics.   
He found non, so he got up again and sat back in his chair, calmly waiting for Draco to calm down; but after seven minutes (yes, he had been counting) of non-stop giggling he decided that Draco was too far gone to stop by himself. 

Forgetting his promise to himself, Harry sat on the floor for the second time that night and put an arm at either side of the sniggering Draco so his face was directly above the Slytherin’s. Draco was, for lack of a better word, cute in Harry’s opinion. The way his almost button nose wrinkled in amusement when he laughed, and the way his smile displayed perfect teeth and the curve of his small pink lips, was just too adorable to Harry. Smirking, Harry lowered his head over said lips, before touching them with his own. His tongue came out to play as it pushed forcefully into Draco’s mouth, and the Slytherin stopped laughing abruptly and made a little ‘oh’ of surprise before responding to the kiss enthusiastically.

Their tongues battled with each other until the need for air became too great, and they reluctantly drew apart, panting slightly.  
Harry gave Draco a very quick peck on the lips before straightening up, and gave Draco a small smile.  
“We came here to talk you know”, he said, trying to be serious, but the corners of his mouth twitched upwards.  
Draco started to giggle again, but was cut short as a small, high-pitched hiccup escaped his slightly parted lips. Harry shook his head at him in an amused way. He held out a hand to pull Draco up, which Draco took as his other hand was now covering his mouth as the hiccups kept coming.  
When Draco was safely sat in his own chair, jerking slightly with each little hiccup, Harry closed his eyes and willed for some kind of remedy.

A bottle popped into existence on the mantle piece over the fire and Harry strode towards it, picking it up and then flicking the lid off as he carried it back to Draco.  
Passing the potion over, Draco downed it all in one before another hiccup could take over and chucked the bottle carelessly over his shoulder.  
“Sorry”, said Draco, amusement evident in his voice as he wiped his mouth on his sleeve.  
“It’s alright”, Harry murmured as he sat back down into his own chair, “But I do need to talk to you.”  
Draco stopped smiling and became serious, “What about?” he asked, warily.  
Harry leaned forward and dragged his chair closer to Draco’s, sitting back down when they were closer Harry said softly, but firmly, “I want to tell Ron.”  
Draco looked down in his lap and let out a deep breath, then put his head in one of his hands. He shut his eyes for a while, taking it in, before looking back up at Harry. “When?” he asked, shortly.  
“Now”, said Harry. No point beating around the bush.  
Draco nodded, looking at the floor, “Does he know about you being Bi and all?”  
“Yeah,” said Harry, quietly, “I told him last night; and I told him I was seeing someone, and that it was a boy.”  
Draco looked at him, “How did he take it?”  
“Very well actually. He said he was happy for me”, said Harry, smiling at the memory, “I said I’d tell him who it was after I’d checked it was okay, so that’s what I’m doing. I have every intention of sticking to that now that we are back on best friend basis.”  
Draco nodded again, deep in thought, “So…” he said slowly, “He wants to know who it is.”  
Harry nodded, watching Draco carefully. Draco bit his lip, “I’m not sure Harry”, he said eventually.  
Harry lent back in his chair, defeated. If Draco didn’t want to say anything then well, Ron wasn’t going to find out. They’d be back where they were, but Draco came first to Harry and if he didn’t want people to know, then people wouldn’t know.

Seeing Harry deflate, Draco added softly, “I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”  
Harry smiled delicately, “Thanks; but I don’t see how I could.”  
Draco looked at him worriedly, “What if he doesn’t like it?” he said tensely.  
“Then he will have to lump it”, said Harry confidently, and Draco breathed a sigh of relief, “I’m prepared for that to happen you know. Don’t think that I’m expecting him to just accept us no questions, I just want to give him a chance”, Harry grinned at Draco, “But you come first. Don’t think I’ll give this up if Ron doesn’t like the idea, you’re mine and I don’t intend to let you go.”  
Draco gave him a small smile, “Good.”  
“So”, said Harry, clapping his hands, “Shall we go and get Ron then?”  
Draco sighed, “Maybe you should talk to him first, no, bring him out to the grounds; I’ll wait for you there or something.”  
“Yeah! That’s a better idea”, said Harry happily, jumping up, standing on tip toe and kissing Draco swiftly on the cheek, “I’ll be quick.”  
“You’d better be”, said Draco in a mock threatening voice, “It’s cold out there.”  
“Don’t be such a pussy”, said Harry, “You can cast warming charms right?” he challenged with a cock of his eyebrow.  
“Of course I can!” Draco scoffed, “Now go and get Weas-Ron!” he pointed a finger to the door.  
“I’m going!” said Harry, “And try not to call him Weasley or Weasel or Weaselbee”, he added pleadingly from the door.  
Draco placed hands on his hips, “I haven’t called him that once this year!” he said indignantly.  
Harry nodded as he smiled, “I’m just saying”, he backed out of the door; “I’ll see you in a bit then.”  
“Yeah”, said Draco, with a smile of his own.  
Harry blew him a kiss and giggled as he disappeared around the door frame, leaving a chuckling Draco alone in the Room of Requirement.

 

Harry bounded along to Gryffindor tower, feeling happier than he probably should, considering just how wrong this could go. But then again, Harry thought to himself as he skipped along the familiar corridors, even if it does go wrong, at least I won’t be lying anymore. With that thought in mind, Harry gleefully told the Fat Lady the password, ‘dragon eggs’, and stepped through the portrait hole, and scanned the crowded room for a head of ginger hair. 

He did find some ginger hair, but it was Ginny’s. He made his way through the chattering students and tapped Ginny lightly on the shoulder.  
“Hey Gin, haven’t seen Ron have you?” he asked, being careful not to talk too loud as Ginny’s friends watched him with interest.  
“Oh, Hi Harry”, said Ginny, turning around to face him, “I think he went up to the dorm. What’s up?”  
“I’ve got to tell him something”, said Harry vaguely, hoping she would know what ‘something’ that would be, but no.  
Ginny frowned at him, “What?”  
Harry huffed and glanced at the other girl’s; they were all sitting forward in their seats, watching him like Hawks and making no effort to hide their curiosity. He bent right down, placing his hands on Ginny’s shoulders and whispering in her ear, “I’m telling him about D.M”  
Ginny’s chocolate eyes widened in realisation and her mouth made a small ‘o’. She smiled at him, “Good. I hope it goes alright.”  
Harry gave her a hug, “Thanks Gin.”  
“Anytime”, she responded, hugging him back, “Now go and find him.”  
“Wish me luck”, called Harry over his shoulder, as he turned away towards the boy’s dormitories.  
“I’ve got my fingers crossed!” Ginny yelled when Harry was at the foot of the stair case.  
Harry turned and shot her a wide smile, noticing how all of the other girls looked insanely jealous of Ginny, and then climbed the stairs two at a time until he reached the sixth year’s dorm, and pushed the door open.

Ron was indeed in the boy’s dorm, sat on his four poster bed and reading ‘Which Broomstick?” with his back propped up against the pillows. He looked up as Harry shut the door behind him.  
“Alright mate?” asked Ron cheerily, and giving Harry a smile.  
“Me? Yeah”, said Harry, sitting down next to Ron and making the mattress dip at one side, “Listen, I said I’d tell you who I’m seeing so if you come with me all will be revealed”, he wiggled his fingers in a magical expression, a grin forming on his own face.  
“What? Now!” asked Ron, shocked.  
“Yeah. Now”, said Harry, laughing at the look on Ron’s face.  
“Like, right now?” said Ron again, raising his eyebrows.  
“Yeah. Right now”, Harry countered with a nod of his head.  
“Right now, now”, said Ron.  
“Yes right now now”, said Harry exasperatedly.  
“Right now now now?” asked Ron.  
“For fuck sake Ron, yes right now now now!” said Harry standing up.  
“Right now now now now?” asked Ron, a cheeky grin spreading on his freckled face.  
“Right fucking NOW!” Harry yelled, grabbing Ron by the arm and hauling him to his feet. “Come on!” 

*

Harry waited until they where outside the castle before he spoke to Ron again. He didn’t want any teachers asking them any questions, even if they had the backup plan of Ron being a prefect. The air was crisp and cool, and there was a slight breeze that nipped at their skin in the chilly night. Wrapping his cloak more tightly around himself to shut out the wind, Harry shivered.  
“Look Ron, I think you’d better know now that this is going to be a shock”, Harry warned.  
Ron stopped him by holding out his arm, “Harry. We only just got back on track, and believe me; I’m not going to mess it up again. I’m prepared for whoever it is. I mean it. I’ve considered nearly every possibility; including the possible fact that someone who we all thought was a girl could actually be a boy! Trust me; I don’t think anything will be too big of a shock”, he grinned at Harry, but Harry groaned.  
“No really Ron. There is a high possibility that you won’t like this, but I’m telling you now, if you have any feelings on the subject that are negative I’d rather you kept them to yourself at least until we are back in the dorm or until we are alone, okay?” Harry warned.  
“Alright”, Ron agreed, and carried on walking.  
“Wrong way Ron”, said Harry, snickering slightly.  
Ron smacked him on the arm, “Shut up I knew that!”  
“Sure you did”, Harry mocked, turning to his right and towards the lake where he could see a figure with a black hooded clock, standing at the waters edge.

They carried on walking until they reached the figure, and Harry walked to its side while Ron hung back. “Ready for this?” Harry murmured, talking Draco’s hand.  
“Ready as I’ll ever be”, he said back, pulling his hood down with his other hand.  
They both turned at the same time to see Ron, gaping like a goldfish.  
“M-Malfoy?” he choked.  
Draco nodded, smiling as the looked from Ron to Harry.  
“Draco”, Harry corrected, giving Draco’s hand a small squeeze that didn’t go unnoticed by Ron.  
“A-are you serious?” he asked, his voice faltering.  
Draco put his head in hands, but Harry nudged him with his elbow, “Yeah”, he said, looking Ron straight in the eyes.  
“Fucking Hell”, Ron muttered, and he let himself sit down in the grass, his legs crossed, staring at the ground, “Fuck”, he muttered again.  
Harry looked at Draco, who was as white as a sheet, and he gave him a kiss on the lips while Ron wasn’t looking. “Its guna’ be fine”, he whispered, before letting go of Draco’s hand to sit in front of Ron.  
He reached out and put a hand on Ron’s shoulder, and Ron looked up, “How long?” Ron asked.  
“Pretty much since we started back here”, Harry said with an apologetic smile.  
Ron nodded, “Okay”, he said faintly.  
Harry gave his shoulder a squeeze before letting his hand drop back into his own lap. “Bit of a shock?” he asked, trying not to laugh.  
“A little”, said Ron, quietly, “But it was considered”, he added with a smile.  
“Are you alright with it?” asked Harry quietly.  
“Are you happy?” asked Ron, seriously.  
“You’re side stepping the question”, Harry stated.  
“My answer depends on yours”, Ron shot back with a smile.  
Harry nodded, “In answer then. Yes, I’m very happy”, he let out a contented sigh, “Happier than I’ve ever been in my life.”  
Ron grinned, “Well I guess I’m okay with it then.”  
Harry launched himself upon Ron for the second time that week, and hugged him tightly around the neck, “Thanks”, he murmured into his shoulder before pulling back.  
Ron shrugged in a ‘yeah, well’ sort of fashion, before settling his gaze on Draco, who had been shuffling nervously from foot to foot, biting his lip and watching. Ron jerked his head as a gesture for Draco to come and sit next to them, and Draco hesitantly sat, nearer to Harry than Ron, but he was still there never the less. 

Harry grabbed Draco’s hand again and they laced their fingers together. Draco’s hand was sweaty Harry noticed, even in the cold night air.  
“You’d better treat him right”, said Ron, a little stiffly, “You don’t really deserve him, I hope you know that.”  
Draco looked at Harry, then back at Ron, “I will, I’m still wondering what he’s doing with me”, He chuckled, and squeezed Harry’s hand, “You’re right, I don’t deserve him.”  
Ron nodded, “Just so you know, if you ever hurt him, you’ll have me to deal with.”  
“I won’t ever hurt him”, said Draco, solemnly, “Not if I can help it.”  
“Good”, said Ron, then he smiled, “Guess I’ll have to get to know you as Draco, not Malfoy.”  
“Yeah. Ron”, said Draco smiling back at Ron. They both held out their hands at the same time and they shook.  
“I mean it”, said Ron, “You have no idea just how lucky you are.”  
Draco grinned, “I do. I really do”, he looked at Harry, who had tears in his emerald eyes.  
“What’s up?” asked Draco, concerned and he rubbed Harry’s arm with his other hand that wasn’t joined to Harry’s.  
Harry shook his head, “Nothing. I’m just happy”, he fanned his hand in front of his eyes to try and stop himself from crying, it had gone even better than he had ever dreamed possible. For once in his life, everything was going perfectly.

Draco laughed at him and told him affectionately, “Come here you idiot”, he pulled Harry onto his lap and conjured a tissue from mid-air, shaking his head with a smile.  
Harry looked at Ron through his hazy eyes, and he could see that Ron was smiling too, and he couldn’t hold the tears back any longer.  
Crying silently, he twisted his neck and gave Draco a kiss on the cheek, “I’m so glad it’s worked out.”  
Ron and Draco nodded.   
“I’m happy for you”, said Ron, honestly, “Both of you.”  
Harry got up out of Draco’s lap, and sat himself down in Ron’s, wrapping his arms around the red-head’s neck and sobbing into his shoulder, “Thank you so much.”  
Ron laughed and tightened his arms around Harry’s back, “Is he always this teary?” he asked Draco, jokingly.  
“Yeah”, said Draco, adoration in his voice, but then he joked, “He still says I’m the feminine one, but we both know really it’s him.”  
“I’m not”, came Harry’s muffled voice from Ron’s shoulder.  
Ron and Draco chuckled to themselves.   
“Keep telling yourself that mate”, Ron murmured, as he rubbed circles on Harry’s back.  
Draco laughed, “We should be getting back now; they’ll be locking the doors.”  
“Yeah”, said Ron, prying Harry from himself, “Come on mate.”  
Harry nodded, wiping his eyes on his sleeve, “I’m tired. I want a piggy back”  
Ron giggled, “Draco can give you one.”  
“I wanted to”, Draco shot back playfully as he bent down for Harry to clamber up.  
“Good”, said Ron, laughing as they set off back towards the castle, and Harry yawned. It had been a very tiring night.

As they reached the Entrance hall where they would have to go their separate ways, they came to a halt. Harry had fallen asleep.  
Trying not to giggle, Draco said, “Well, you can have sleeping beauty for the rest of the way”, as he eased Harry from his shoulders and into Ron’s waiting arms, “Don’t you dare drop him”, he said, threateningly.  
Ron grinned; adjusting Harry so he was easier to carry, “Wouldn’t dream of it”, he paused, “You really do like him don’t you.”  
“No, I don’t”, said Draco, quietly; but when saw Ron’s confused face he admitted softly, “I love him.”  
Smiling, he turned on his heel and strode down the steps to the dungeons, leaving a gaping Ron stood alone, “Night Ron.”

 

 

_Auhtor's Note: For those of you who like Ron_  
*author points to self with a grin*  
then you will be happy with me.   
If you don't like Ron...then, well, you suck!  
*laughs*  
No, just joking. I could totally understand why you wouldn't like Ron. I just forgive him all the time! 

_Anyways, hope you liked the chapter. Give me your thoughts please.  
Reviews?_


	21. Chapter 21 - To Be Continued...

  
Author's notes: Clambering up, Harry saw with a jolt to his stomach, Draco.  
He was curled up into a ball, tears streaming down his perfect face. Harry’s heart clenched.  
“Draco…?”   


* * *

It was Sunday, and Harry was sat eating happily with Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table. They chattered nosily between themselves, cheerfully making plans for the Christmas holidays that had started on Friday.   
Ron had invited Harry over to the Burrow for Christmas as usual, along with Hermione, but Harry hadn’t yet decided what to do. He had planned on talking to Draco about it and seeing what Draco wanted to do, just in case he was staying at Hogwarts. If he was, then Harry was too.  
But the blond Slytherin in question hadn’t turned up to breakfast yet.

Harry wasn’t worried; Draco did over sleep occasionally after their usual late night activities, and it was Sunday after all with only one week left until Christmas. No homework, no Hogsmeade, and no Quidditch; so Harry carried on talking to Ron and Hermione without a care in the world. He was still coming down from his high after finally admitting to Ron about their relationship, and he was practically dizzy with excitement with the first upcoming Christmas with no secrets or worries hanging over his head at all.

As he shovelled down some egg, Ron turned to him a grin forming on his face.  
“So Harry, where exactly were you last night?” he asked innocently, but the smirk countered his tone of voice completely.  
Harry choked on his egg, “W-what me?” he stuttered, after gulping some water.  
“No. Neville”, said Ron in the most sarcastic voice he could muster, but Harry went back to his food, pretending he hadn’t noticed. Ron pushed him roughly, “Yes you. You stupid twat!”  
“Hey!” said Harry indignantly, rubbing his arm. He sent Ron a glare, and then pouted. “That wasn’t nice! You’re a mean person Ronald Weasley”  
Ron laughed at him, “Stop acting like a baby Harry!”  
Harry immediately screwed up his face and pretended to cry, earning him a hard kick under the table from Ron. “Oww!” he yelled, stretching down to rub his leg and then smacking his head on the table, “OWWWW!” he yelled again, sitting back up quickly.

Hermione sniggered opposite him. He glared at her, but stopped quickly as it made his head throb where he banged it.  
Rubbing his head, Harry glared at Ron too anyway.  
“That was your fault”, he said acidly.  
Ron shook his head at him sadly, “You smacked your own head mate, not me. But I’ll admit the leg was my fault.”  
“Too right it was!” said Harry, starting to grin, dismissing the pain in his arm, leg and now head, “You do realise I’ll get you back though.”  
“Yeah whatever”, said Ron lazily.  
“Yeah I will. You know the rules; whatever you do to me I’ll do it back but harder”, said Harry cheerily.  
“Yes but there is one tiny little problem with that”, said Ron, waving his fork in Harry’s face with a piece of bacon hanging off the end.   
“What?” asked Harry, confused.  
“Well, you are a skinny little runt and I could wrestle you to the ground in two seconds flat”, Ron stated, triumphantly, munching on his bacon with a smirk.  
Harry made an ‘oh my god you did not just say that’ face and stared from Ron to Hermione. “Did you hear what he just said to me Herms?” he asked, gob smacked.  
Hermione just smiled. 

*

At the very end of breakfast, just when Harry thought he had successfully side-stepped Ron’s question with his childish antics, Ron dropped the question once more.  
“So where were you?” Ron asked him, making sure that Harry was looking at him when he said it, so Harry couldn’t pretend he didn’t hear.  
“Does it matter?” asked Harry carefully.  
“Yes!” said Ron and Hermione together.   
“We know about your boyfriend Harry, you don’t need to pretend anymore”, said Ron, grinning.  
Harry eyed Ron carefully, “Who said I was meeting Draco anyway?” he asked defiantly and crossing his arms.  
Ron shot him a look that said ‘don’t lie’ and waited for Harry to speak.  
“Okay so I was with Draco”, said Harry, throwing up his hands resignedly.  
Hermione gave a nod of approval. “Thought so”, she said, smugly.  
“But you still haven’t really answered my question mate,” said Ron, “Where were you?”  
Harry muttered something neither Ron nor Hermione could catch.   
“What?” said Ron loudly.  
“I was in the Room of Requirement”, Harry admitted a little louder.  
“Doing?” Ron prodded.  
“Nothing!” Harry hissed, looking around to check no one was listening, but the hall was almost empty.  
“Nothing ey?” smirked Ron, waggling his eyebrows.  
“Yes nothing”, said Harry crossly.  
“I bet you were”, Ron said sarcastically, returning to his bacon with a grin, “and I bet that massive love-bite on your neck got there all by itself too.”

*

Later that day, Harry, Ron and Hermione where lazing under a tree in the grounds. It was cold, but Hermione had conjured one of those portable fires that she had become so adapt to making, to keep themselves warm.  
Harry was shifting restlessly; it was nearly time for dinner and Draco still hadn’t turned up yet.   
It was perfectly normal for him to miss breakfast, to miss lunch was a bit odd, and for Draco to almost miss dinner was just unheard of, and now Harry was getting distressed.

“Look, I’m sure he has a good reason”, said Ron, reassuringly, “He might have gone down to the kitchens for lunch or something.”  
Harry was picking at the grass and staring at the castle, he didn’t seem to have even heard Ron.  
“Ron’s right you know”, Hermione chimed in, “Draco’s a big boy, he can look after himself”, she rubbed his back soothingly, “You’re getting yourself all worked up over nothing.”  
Harry whipped around, “Nothing?” he asked, incredulously, “He would never miss lunch, for anything.”  
“You don’t know that Harry. He is probably fine”, said Hermione, reasonably.  
“He isn’t fine!” said Harry, distraught.  
“Look mate, Hermione was right, you don’t know that”, said Ron, trying to help Hermione out.  
“I do!” said Harry, urgently, “I can feel it.”  
“You’re just worrying yourself”, said Hermione, starting to look alarmed.  
“I need to find him”, Harry muttered to himself, standing up.  
“If it will make you feel better, then go and find him”, said Hermione, huffily, “But I’m telling you, he will be sat in his common room waiting for dinner, just like we’ve been.”  
But Harry had already got up and sprinted half way across the grounds, heading towards the castle.

Up in the dorm, Harry looked around wildly before running over to his bed and throwing himself down onto his stomach. The floor was dusty as he reached forward and pulled out his trunk, scrabbled with the catch and threw the lid open, then rooted around, looking for the Marauder’s Map amidst his clothes.  
Whipping it out, Harry pulled his wand from his back pocket and tapped the map, panting an ‘I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.’

He scanned the map hurriedly for any sign of ‘Draco Malfoy’ on the map. He checked the Slytherin Common Room first and found nothing, so he tried Draco’s dorm; again nothing. He checked place after place, the Library, the Kitchens, the Quidditch Pitch, the Boy’s Bathroom; and just when he was about to give up he spotted a single, isolated name at the very top of the Astronomy Tower.  
Tucking his wand and the map scruffily inside his jeans pocket, Harry kicked his trunk back under his bed and set off again, hurtling down the spiral stair case.

 

Coming up the tower Harry slowed down, panting. He looked around; it appeared to be deserted, so Harry pulled out his map again.  
The figure marked ‘Draco Malfoy’ was sitting directly above the figure labelled ‘Harry Potter’.  
Harry frowned and put the map back, whilst looking up at the ceiling.   
Of course! Draco was on the roof! Harry hurried forward to the window and hoisted himself out. Clambering up, Harry saw with a jolt to his stomach, Draco.  
He was curled up into a ball, tears streaming down his perfect face. Harry’s heart clenched.  
“Draco…?” 

 

_Author's Note: Yeah, sorry about all this waiting, but my muse really isn't up to it at the moment._  
Useless thing.  
Anyways, its here now. Reviews? 


	22. Chapter 22 - Pressure

  
Author's notes: Harry hugged him close, “I’ll never leave you, I promise.”  
Harry sighed as he felt Draco’s breathing grow heavy; somehow, they would work this out. They’d be together, no matter what the cost.  


* * *

“Draco…?”

Draco looked up, his perfect face red and blotchy from tears. He was shivering uncontrollably as he tried to stand, but Harry ran over, although carefully on the steep roof tiles, and dropped to his knees pulling the blond down with him.  
Draco choked as he wrapped his arms tightly around Harry; his heart was beating frantically as his breathing rose to a dangerously fast rate, clutching at Harry for all he was worth.  
Harry didn’t understand.  
What was wrong with him?  
How long had he been here?  
Had someone found out?  
Or even worse; had Lucius found out?  
Harry pulled Draco into him, kissing the top of head firmly.  
Draco was freezing, so Harry wrapped his cloak around his quivering boyfriend, not caring if anyone should come up and find them; not that anyone would come up on the Astronomy Tower roof on a Sunday afternoon anyway.  
He didn’t know what was wrong; and he felt upset with himself, almost hating himself for not knowing, and for not being there; but for now, all he could do was hold Draco tightly and never let go.

After while, the wind picked up and blew both Harry and Draco on the roof and Harry pulled Draco in even tighter to his side, curling around him as though protecting him.  
He wouldn’t ever let anyone hurt Draco; never.  
As Harry rubbed his arms up and down Draco’s sides to warm him up, his hand rustled something in Draco’s jacket pocket. He pried himself away from Draco just far enough to glance downwards; a piece of paper was sticking out of the top.  
Draco didn’t seem to have noticed, and was still crying with his breath coming in short, sharp bursts.  
“Draco, what’s this?” Harry asked quietly.  
Draco pulled the crumpled piece of paper out of his pocket with trembling hands and handed it to Harry, tears rolling down his cheeks.  
Harry took one of his arms back from around Draco’s shoulder, and carefully opened and smoothed out the paper. It was a letter.  
His heart sinking, Harry started to read.

_Draco,_  
It is my wish for you to come home this Christmas, as I shall be taking you to give your services to the Dark Lord. It has been requested that all the Dark Lord’s inner circle bring any son’s or daughters they might have to have them marked.  
I know that you will not disappoint me and come forward to prove yourself as a dedicated Death Eater, and as my son.  
If you meet up to the Dark Lord’s standards, you shall not be returning to Hogwarts. Pack all of your belongings, don’t tell anyone that you won’t be coming back, don’t give any indication that anything should be any different from the usual.  
It is my wish for you to come back on the Hogwarts Express, and I will be waiting on Platform 9 ¾ as per usual with your Mother.  
Make sure you are ready and well presented, as I will be taking you straight home were the Dark Lord is currently in hiding.  
Mention this to no one. Not even Crabbe or Goyle, although they should be attending, there is no guarantee that they won’t tell.  
Enjoy your last day at Hogwarts.  
Your Father. 

Harry stared at the letter; this couldn’t be happening; not now.  
He felt as though his stomach had vanished. Just when everything had been going exactly the way it should be, fate had turned on them yet again, taking away their complete and total happiness, only to replace it with fear, distress and hopelessness; a horrifying and sickening combination of emotions that drove people to, and even over, the edge; falling and falling through thick fog, not knowing what was happening, not knowing what to do, and not knowing what the end was or when it would be.

It was at times like these when Harry didn’t think about anything; instinctively, he flung himself at Draco and crushed the taller boy against him. There was always one emotion that triumphed over all, something that Harry and Draco had - Love.  
“I’ll keep you safe”, Harry whispered, desperately, “I promise.”  
Harry kissed Draco quickly on the mouth, but Draco pulled him in, kissing him with such a furious intensity that it caught Harry off guard.  
It was pure, desperate, and frantic need; and Harry knew that Draco needed something, or someone, to take care of him like never before.  
It was time that the roles were reversed.

*

It was ten minutes later when Harry finally laid a still crying Draco down on the comfortable four-poster bed in the Room of Requirement.   
Harry sat carefully to Draco’s side, looking down at the beautiful boy next to him. He lent over him and kissed him soundly on the lips.  
“I’m looking after you tonight”, Harry said gently.  
Draco nodded as his tears slowed down somewhat, and he squeezed Harry’s hand.  
Taking that as his sign, Harry moved to straddle Draco’s slender hips and he slowly began to unzip Draco’s jacket, tossing it off onto the floor when he removed it.  
He moved onto Draco’s buttons, carefully undoing each one, and kissing every inch on bare skin that was revealed as he did so.  
Draco gasped when Harry reached his nipples, and curled his hands gently into Harry’s hair, holding him in place. Harry smiled to himself.  
He licked a path down Draco’s hairless chest and down into his navel, making Draco squirm and pant as he got inpatient, marvelling just how on earth he had ended up with this faultless and flawless angel, how Draco could ever have wanted, let alone love him.

Gently pulling Draco’s hand from his hair, Harry kissed each finger tip all the way down to the soft and velvety palms of Draco’s hands, and finally down his wrist, forearm, elbow and then licking up to Draco’s shoulder. He left feather light kisses all along Draco’s collar bone, making the blond writhe and groan beneath him, before sucking and biting on his neck just hard enough to mark.  
He licked around the shell of Draco’s ear, before Draco took Harry head in his hands and pulled him in for a kiss.  
Harry exhaled heavily through his nose as Draco gently pushed his tongue into Harry’s mouth, tracing carefully along Harry’s teeth and the roof of his mouth, before gliding his tongue with Harry’s slowly and leisurely.

Harry moaned quietly as Draco moved his hands down to cup Harry’s arse and pushing their now fully hard cocks together.   
It was absolute heaven, making Harry believe that Draco had to be an angel.  
Harry pulled back and unzipped Draco’s tight jeans, pealing them down to his calves and pushing down his boxers, where Draco kicked them off the rest of the way. He stripped off his own before settling down in between Draco’s now parted legs. Drinking in the sight before him Harry whispered “I love you” before lowering his head to Draco’s erection, which was sitting proudly from a nest of light brown curls.  
Draco moaned loudly above him as Harry closed his lips around Draco’s cock, tasting the salty pre-come that had been glistening on the top. Harry bobbed his head up and down, keeping Draco’s hips pinned down with his hands as the blond tried desperately to thrust upwards, bucking and panting.

Harry continued this for some time, adding swirls of his tongue and little sucks here and there until he felt Draco’s body tense.  
He pulled back quickly, not wanting Draco to come right then, as he knew he would’ve had he carried on. Draco whimpered when Harry sat back.  
Harry kissed Draco softly on the lips.  
“Let me love you”, he whispered.  
Draco nodded, as lay panting and covered in his and Harry’s sweat.

Harry gently pulled Draco’s legs up over his shoulders, pushing some cushions underneath Draco’s back to steady him. He stuck his hand out and said ‘Accio Lube’ and a small pot came zooming towards his outstretched hand, he closed his fingers around it and put it down on the bed.  
He unscrewed the top and dipped his fingers inside, the familiar feeling of the slick wetness returning to his senses. He rubbed it up and down his fingers, spreading the excess at Draco’s puckered hole.  
He hoisted Draco’s legs up a bit further before asking “Are you ready?”  
“Yes”, Draco panted.  
Harry pushed in one finger, loving the hot, tight sensation surrounding his finger and wondering how it would feel to have that feeling around his cock too.  
He slowly began to push his finger in backwards and forwards, watching Draco all the time in case he wasn’t comfortable; but Draco’s face was one of pure bliss.

Slowly, Harry added another finger, feeling Draco’s muscles relaxing and stretch to accommodate him. He wriggled his fingers, still watching Draco.  
Harry curled his fingers inside Draco, who suddenly screamed and clawed his finger nails into the sheets, bunching them up tightly.  
“What’s wrong?” Harry asked quickly, pulling his fingers back frantically, “I haven’t hurt you have I?”  
Draco sat up quickly, “For the love of god do that again!” he panted.  
“What this?” asked Harry, curling his fingers again and pressing against the knot deep inside Draco.  
“Yes that! Oh fuck!” Draco screamed, writhing on the mattress, beads of sweat gliding down his chest and face.  
Harry couldn’t believe it was him that was making Draco completely loose control so amazingly; but then, he mused, that must be how Draco feels when they are in their normal place.

He continued to stroke the knot he had found until Draco tensed, Harry’s signal that either Draco was going to come, or that Harry should stop now to stop him from doing just that; he chose the latter option, wanting him and Draco to come together.  
Draco whimpered pathetically as Harry slowly withdrew his fingers with a satisfying squelch.  
Harry lent forward to give Draco a tender kiss on his sweaty forehead, pushing his platinum blond bangs to the side with a smile.  
Draco gave him a grin back, his breath coming hard and heavy as he tried to get some air into his lungs, his chest rising and falling rapidly.  
“I think…I’ll like being the bottom…from time to time”, said Draco breathlessly.  
“You’re sure about this though?” asked Harry, concerned as this was Draco’s first time in this position.  
“Never been surer”, was Draco’s reply.  
Nodding, Harry picked up the temporarily forgotten pot of lube from next to him on the bed, he dipped his fingers in again, smothering it up and down the length of his achingly hard cock and wiping the rest at Draco’s tight entrance. 

He hoisted Draco’s legs further up and pushed the pile of cushions straight again, waiting for Draco to settle down again.  
He lined himself up, the head of his cock teasing against Draco’s hole.  
“Ready?” he asked again.  
Draco nodded.  
Taking a deep breath, Harry slowly pushed forward, his cock sinking into the tight, warm space that was Draco. They both moaned in unison as Harry sunk right in.  
“Fucking hell”, Draco moaned.  
Harry just nodded enthusiastically. It was exactly like with his fingers, only a hundred times better, hot and tight.  
He held still, letting Draco get used to the feeling that he knew oh so well.  
Draco wriggled his hips experimentally, making Harry groan and bite his lip as the movement sent shock waves of pleasure right up his cock.

Harry though this was possibly one of the best feelings in the world. He was completely connected to Draco – they were one.  
He pulled back out slowly, knowing the slight burning Draco was sure to feel, before pushing back in just as slowly. Draco lifted his hips up more and pushed back onto Harry; they started to get a rhythm.  
They rocked slowly, backwards and forwards, panting with the effort, and Harry trying not to loose composure and come right then, Draco was just so beautiful.  
He lent over Draco, pushing Draco’s legs back in on himself, kissing him deeply as they speed up, groaning with each stroke.

“You’re so fucking good!” Harry panted against Draco’s lips.   
Harry changed the angle of his thrust to match what he had done with his fingers and Draco screamed out, his walls tensing tightly around Harry as his prostrate was hit time and time again, making his eyes clamp tight shut.   
Draco grabbed his own neglected erection and began pumping it furiously in time with Harry’s thrusts.   
“Harder, faster!” Draco gasped.  
Harry did as he was told; pushing harder and faster into Draco, making the blond and himself pant and moan loudly, their chests meeting as they breathed.  
“I love you!” Harry gasped out before meeting Draco halfway in an earth shattering kiss.  
Breaking the kiss, Harry propped himself back up onto his hands, one either side of Draco’s head, thrusting furiously as Draco cried, “Fuck…Harry!”

Harry was becoming dizzy and light headed, Draco’s constant moans driving him crazy for more. He pulled Draco’s hand from his erection and began pumping it himself, and Draco gripping Harry’s shoulders tightly.  
“Harry!” Draco screamed, his face screwing up and his mouth falling open as his whole body tensed.  
Harry gave a few more quick slams into Draco, hitting is prostrate, and Draco shuddered and screamed “Harry!” again as he came hard into Harry’s hand, his come splashing all over his chest and onto the sheets.  
That undid Harry; with a few good, hard thrusts, Harry came violently inside of Draco’s hot walls, shouting Draco’s name as he closed his eyes.

Harry withdrew from Draco, his softened cock slipping from Draco’s body as slowly lowered Draco’s legs, kissing and stretching them out as he did. Draco would be sore and cramped from being in that position for so long.  
He finally collapsed exhausted next to Draco, before pulling the blond into his arms.  
“I love you”, said Harry, shakily as his breathing returned to normal.  
“I love you too”, said Draco, curling up into Harry’s side and closing his eyes.  
Harry kissed both of Draco’s closed eyelids softly.  
“It’s going to be okay”, he said, somehow, inexplicably, believing his own words.  
Draco nodded, his eyes still closed, “I know; I’ve got you and that’s all that matters.”  
Harry hugged him close, “I’ll never leave you, I promise.”  
Harry sighed as he felt Draco’s breathing grow heavy; somehow, they would work this out. They’d be together, no matter what the cost.

 

_Author's Note: I honestly can't remember if I updated last week, if I didn't so sorry, but here is your chapter._  
Can someone remind me if I did please, I think my memory is going!   
Anyways, hope I get lots of reviews from you all! 


	23. Chapter 23 - Me Against The World

  
Author's notes: This is going to be great, Harry thought and Draco’s hand wormed its way into his hair, pulling them closer, two whole weeks of un-interrupted snogging…

* * *

Harry awoke early next morning. He groaned and squeezed his eyes tightly shut against the light that was pouring in though the castle windows, and he wrapped the blankets tightly around himself; he was cold.  
Harry cracked a green eye open. Ah, well that was why, he thought, noticing the empty space next to him which signalled Draco’s absence. Draco has obviously woken earlier and hadn’t wanted to disturb him.  
Harry sat up and stretched his arms high above his head, making his elbows crack unpleasantly, and yawned, looking blearily around for Draco. He didn’t immediately see the blond Slytherin, but figured he had either gone for breakfast, or was in the shower. He slumped backwards against the pillows, letting his eyes drift shut again.

*

“Harry! Harry get up!” a voice complained.  
Harry wriggled down under the duvet, pulling it right up until only the top of his hair could be seen.  
“Oh for fuck sake!” the voice snapped, and Harry heard footsteps stomping away.   
I must have fallen asleep again, Harry realised, frowning to himself; what time was it?  
Cautiously, Harry opened his eyes and stuck his head out of the blankets. Draco was stood a few feet away, arms folded and tapping his foot impatiently.  
“About time”, he said, huffily, striding back over to Harry and plonking himself down on the edge of the bed, making it dip down, “you need to pack up your things if you are going to the Weasley’s for Christmas, the train will go without you.”  
Oops, thought Harry. He sat blot upright and wished he hadn’t as his world span and swirled dizzyingly before him. He blinked a few times, shaking his head.  
“What time is it?” he asked groggily.  
“Ten past eleven”, said Draco, primly, “so you had better get moving, the train leaves at twelve.”  
Harry slumped back into the pillows with a ‘flump’.  
“Oh no you don’t!” yelled Draco, pulling Harry back up by the arm, “I’ve been trying to get you up for the last hour! You are NOT going back to sleep now!”  
Harry huffed but let Draco pull him up again.   
“Thank you!” said Draco, “at last! Now get up and have a shower, I’ll bring some breakfast from the kitchens.”  
Harry nodded, but just as Draco was about to get up, said, “Are you okay Draco, after last night and everything?”  
Draco went stiff and said, tightly, “yes.”  
Harry’s stomach plummeted. “I hurt you didn’t I?”  
Draco looked confused, “what?” he asked, then realisation dawned on him, “oh that! No of course you didn’t”, he stroked the side of Harry’s face, “it was one of the best nights of my life…well, in that respect”  
Harry smiled at him and gently pulled Draco in for a soft kiss. “Good”, he murmured.  
Draco smiled back at him, but then to Harry’s horror, tears welled up in his eyes.

“Oh no, baby, what is it?” Harry shushed, pulling Draco onto the bed and hugging him tightly.  
Draco pulled Harry tightly to him and laid his head on Harry’s shoulder. “Last night could be the last night I spend with you”, he whispered, his voice shaking ever so slightly.  
Of course, Harry thought, kissing Draco on the head, how could I have forgotten?  
“What are we going to do?” Draco asked, pulling back from Harry and wiping his eyes.  
“You can’t go home”, Harry said immediately, “you can’t join the Death Eaters, but you can’t stay here if your parents have requested you to go home.”  
Draco nodded, looking extremely worried.  
Well what can we do? Harry thought, he can’t come to the Weasley’s with me, they don’t even know about him yet and to be honest, I don’t feel like giving the explanation. Plus, we’d have to go on the train and then Draco’s parents would see him. Shit! I can’t leave him here!   
Harry ran his hands through his hair, knowing Draco was watching him.   
I could stay here with him, but he can’t stay here, he’ll be sent home. Unless we told Dumbledore, he could keep Draco safe right? But then I’d have to go to the Burrow, and I don’t want to leave him behind. There has to be somewhere safe that we can both stay…  
Harry racked his brains, and then, like a light coming on in his head, he knew…

“Grimmauld Place!” he said excitedly, making Draco jump.  
“Sorry?” asked Draco.  
“We can go to Grimmauld Place for the holidays!” said Harry happily, “Your Father would never be able to get us there, we could be there together and we wouldn’t have to stay here!”  
“Just, rewind a second Harry”, said Draco, holding up his hands, “what and where is Grimmauld Place?”  
“It’s my house”, said Harry, “well, it was my Godfather’s house but he left it to me when he died. Apparently his parents where a bit paranoid so they have every protection charm on it they could think of, so I think we’d be pretty safe there…unless you’d rather do something else.”  
“N-no”, said Draco, who had been gaping at Harry, “I’d love to come. But your sure my father wouldn’t be able to get in?” he added.  
“Positive”, said Harry, “It’s got the Fidelius Charm on it and everything.”  
“How would we get there though?” asked Draco, “we can’t Apparate yet and we will be expected on the train at any rate. What about the Weasleys?”  
Harry bit his lip, thinking hard. Draco was right, as usual, they did have to get on the train, otherwise someone would smell a rat; as for the Weasleys, Harry was sure that Ron could put a story out for him, and he was sure Ron would understand.  
“I can get Ron to put out a story for me”, said Harry, “he won’t mind. As for getting there, we are going to have to get on the train. Does it have a Floo or anything on-board?”  
Draco shook his head. “Nope.”  
Harry thought hard again…they just needed to make sure that Draco’s parents didn’t see them when they got off the train, then they could go to the Floo at the end of the platform and go…but not noticing them would be hard; Draco had the most recognisable hair in living history! Unless…

“My invisibility cloak”, Harry said, slowly.  
Draco’s face split into a wide smile. “Yeah, then we could get the Floo from the platform…who is the secret keeper though?”  
“Dumbledore”, said Harry, “do you think he would let us in if we explained the situation?”  
“Probably, it’s your house after all.”  
“Yeah, but it’s also being used for something else. Not sure I can tell you myself, you’ll have to hear it from Dumbledore. If you told him about what your father said, then I think we might be ok.”  
Draco nodded slowly, forming the plan in his mind. “So, if I go and talk to Dumbledore now, will you pack up and get Ron and Hermione on our side?”  
Harry nodded, “yeah, best get going.”  
Harry scrambled out of bed and grabbed his boxers from the floor, pulling them on quickly. Draco grabbed him and gave him a long kiss.  
“Promise me that even if this doesn’t work, you won’t give up on me?” he said, his forehead pressed against Harry’s.  
“I promise”, said Harry.

*  
“Hey guys”, Harry greeted, winding his way around the many chairs and people in the Gryffindor common room and sitting himself down on the arm of Hermione’s chair.  
“Hey Harry, did you find Draco?” asked Ron quietly.  
Harry sighed. “Yeah I found him.”  
“And?” Hermione pried.  
“It’s not good”, Harry murmured.  
“What’s happened?” asked Ron, leaning towards Harry and Hermione.  
“He got a letter from Lucius last night”, said Harry, heavily, “he wants him to go home so he can take the mark.”  
Hermione gasped and Ron breathed “No way.”  
Harry nodded. “So he was in a bit of a state.”  
“I’ll bet”, Ron muttered, “so what are you going to do? There’s no way he can go home.”  
“And he can’t stay at Hogwarts”, said Hermione, “If his parents have asked him to go home.”  
“Yeah that’s the thing. So we’ve thought about it and considered our options, because I’m not leaving him by himself anywhere, and I think that we are both going to hide out at Grimmauld Place, Draco is talking to Dumbledore now.”  
Hermione nodded, biting her lip slightly. “Yes”, she said slowly, “I think that would be best actually. The protection is so strong.”  
“Exactly”, said Harry.  
“So, are you not coming to the Burrow then Harry?” asked Ron, looking disappointed.  
“Sorry mate”, said Harry, “but you understand right?”  
“Of course”, said Ron with a small smile, “you do what you have to do.”  
Harry smiled back at Ron. “Thanks, and we kind of need your help, if you can.”  
Ron nodded. “Yeah, whatever you need.”  
“Well, you know what your mum is like”, said Harry, tiredly, “she’ll want to know why I’m not coming. Do you think you could put out a story for me?”  
Ron looked quickly at Hermione. “I reckon so”, he said, looking back at Harry, “might need Hermione’s help though.”  
Harry looked at Hermione.   
“Of course I’ll help”, she said, “what kind of story were you thinking?”  
Harry rubbed his eyes. “I don’t have a clue; I was hoping you’d have some ideas.”  
“That’s fine”, said Ron, “I think you’ve enough to be getting on with.”  
Hermione smiled at Ron dreamily, something that didn’t go unnoticed by Harry.  
“Thanks”, said Harry, “you’re welcome to come around of course, as long as your mum doesn’t notice anything, and Ron…could you give a warning before you do?”  
Ron chuckled, “yeah sure, wouldn’t want to interrupt anything.”  
Harry blushed. “Anyway”, he said, clearing his throat loudly, “I need to pack up my things, I over slept a bit.”  
“Want some help?” asked Ron, starting to get up.  
“Erm, yeah, please”, said Harry, also standing up, “I think Draco was ready to murder me this morning when he couldn’t wake me up.”  
Ron and Hermione laughed.  
“Best get going then”, said Hermione, “I’m just going to finish packing my own things. I’ll meet you back here Ron.”  
Ron nodded and stared as Hermione stretched, getting up and climbing the stairs to the girl’s dormitories.

Harry elbowed Ron sharply in the ribs.  
“Owww!” Ron moaned, rubbing at his chest, “What was that for?”  
“You were staring”, Harry muttered, grabbing Ron’s forearm and dragging him up the stairs to their own dormitory, “When are you going to ask her out already?”  
“I-I”, Ron stammered, almost tripping up as he climbed the stairs.  
“You haven’t planned on it have you?” said Harry, exasperatedly, “you know, I’m sure you were sorted into Gryffindor.”  
When Ron opened his mouth to protest Harry said quickly “Joking; but seriously Ron, Hermione is a great girl, someone else is bound to notice that soon.”  
“What do you mean?” asked Ron, shutting the door behind them as they entered the room.  
“I mean, hurry up and ask her out before someone else snags her”, said Harry, speaking very slowly.  
“But”, started Ron, “I, urrghhh!” He let out a frustrated growl and flopped backwards onto his bed, head in his hands.  
Harry shook his head, pulled his trunk out from under his bed, and started tossing things into it at random.  
“Why is it so HARD?” asked Ron, pressing on his eyes, “Why can’t I just ask her?!”  
“Because you’re scared she’ll reject you?” offered Harry, rummaging through his bedside table, and pulling out bits of scrap parchment and throwing them haphazardly into the bin.  
Ron sighed and let his arms drop hopelessly at his sides. “Maybe”, he murmured, staring at the canopy above him, “I mean, who’s to say she even likes me back?”  
Harry slammed the lid of his trunk shut. “She does”, he said, firmly, “haven’t you seen the way she looks at you?”  
Ron turned his head to the side and looked at Harry quizzically. “What?”  
Harry sat on top of his trunk. “Have you ever seen Hermione look dreamy?”  
Ron shook his head.  
“Exactly. She only ever looks like that when she looks at you, and when she thinks I’m not watching. So obviously you never see it. She looks at you like there is nothing else in this world that matters apart from you.”  
Ron sat, looking dumbfounded. “But”, he started.  
“No ‘buts’”, said Harry, holding up his hand, “Look, Hermione likes you, you like her, but you both can’t see it. Ask her out, and I bet she’ll say yes. If I’m wrong, I’ll give you my Firebolt.”  
Ron sat up quickly. “What?”  
“I am completely and utterly positive that if you ask Hermione, she will say yes, I’m sooooooo sure, that I’m willing to bet my Firebolt. Surely you can’t refuse that offer?” said Harry, with a grin.  
Ron just stared.  
“I’ll give you until the end of Christmas to ask her”, said Harry, standing up and walking back to the door and pulling it open, “I’ll see you on the train then.”  
Then he left, leaving Ron gawping behind him.

*

Harry was just turning the corner on his way up to the Owlery to pick up Hedwig, when he smacked head-long into Draco.  
“Oh, Harry there you are!” Draco panted, “I’ve been looking for you.”  
“Well?” asked Harry, excitedly, “What did Dumbledore say?”  
“He said I can go!” Draco squealed, jumping up and down, looking very un-Draco-ish.  
“Yes!” Harry exclaimed, flinging his arms around Draco’s neck and hugging the life out of him. “I knew we’d be okay! How did he take the news about the Slytherins?”  
“To be honest, I’m not sure. I don’t think he was pleased at any rate”, said Draco, thoughtfully, “he didn’t say a lot. I just told him what was going on and I showed him the letter. All he said was ‘thank you for informing me of this Mr. Malfoy’ and then he asked me to take some Veritaserum to show my intentions before he told me about the Order.”  
“Veritaserum?” asked Harry, shocked.  
“Well, he had to make sure I wasn’t going to tell my father”, said Draco, breathless.  
“Yeah I suppose so”, Harry murmured.  
Draco beamed at him. “I can’t believe it! I’ll never have to take the mark, and we are going to spend our first Christmas together!” Draco suddenly paused, “We are going to spend our first Christmas together aren’t we?”  
“Oh, yeah”, said Harry, quickly, “I talked to Ron and Hermione. They are going to think of a story for us. It’s all in hand, Ron understands.”  
Draco nodded, then suddenly grabbed Harry by the collar and pressed his lips to Harry’s. Harry was taken by surprise, but soon kissed back with enthusiasm. This is going to be great, Harry thought and Draco’s hand wormed its way into his hair, pulling them closer, two whole weeks of un-interrupted snogging…

 

_Author's Note: Sorry guys, I keep forgetting to update. I understand if you have totally given up on this story!  
Anyways, here now, review?_


	24. Chapter 24 - Three Cheers For Five Years

  
Author's notes: Harry slung his arms around Draco’s neck. “Well, well, well Mr Malfoy. What are we going to do to entertain ourselves now?” he asked in mock thoughtfulness.  
Draco smirked. “I think I have a few ideas.”

* * *

The start of the Christmas holidays was the usual messy affair, with student scrambling onto the Hogwarts express with bags of luggage and their pets screeching, meowing, or croaking from the compartments.  
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco quickly found an empty compartment at the very end of the train, hoping against hope, that none of the Slytherins would come in one so very far down. The compartment they chose was usually empty after all, and Harry had his invisibility cloak at the very top of his trunk should he need it to hide Draco.

Hermione and Harry sat down, letting Ron and Draco put the heavy trunks in the luggage rack, and started to get themselves comfortable.  
Harry would normally sit next to the window so he could watch the world go by, but this time, he sat nearer the door. It wouldn’t do if Draco’s parents saw them as the train rolled up at platform 9¾. He locked the compartment door, just to be safe.  
“I can’t believe we are going to do this”, said Harry, rubbing his eyes tiredly.  
“What?” asked Draco, sitting down next to him and pulling him close.  
“This; running away, hiding…” Harry murmured, his voice trailing off slightly.  
“Well, we aren’t really”, said Draco, reassuringly, “we are just going somewhere different for Christmas.”  
Harry gave him a small smile. “Yeah”, he said, and Draco gave him a quick kiss on the forehead.  
“God, get a room”, said Ron in amusement from the opposite side of the compartment.   
Harry just grinned at him.

*

The journey on the train was uneventful, and thankfully, no Slytherins or anybody for that matter, came down to their compartment.   
Harry was just drifting off to sleep against Draco’s shoulder, when the train started to slow down considerably. Harry sat up quickly, startling Draco.  
“What?” asked Hermione, looking up from her book.  
“We’ve got to get off soon”, said Harry, already standing up and trying to get his trunk down from the rack, “we need to be ready Draco.”  
Draco got up at the same time as Ron and they both helped Harry get his stuff. They settled it down on the floor and Harry opened the lid, pulling out the silvery invisibility cloak. It slithered in his hands as he shut the lid down again with a snap.  
“How are we going to get the trunks out?” Harry asked, panicking as the train slowed right down, “we can’t put them under the cloak, and what if someone sees two trunks dragging themselves, what about the Floo?”  
“Calm down mate”, said Ron, worriedly, “we’ll just shrink them.”  
Harry stopped. “Oh, yes, of course”, he flustered, scratching the back of his neck.  
Draco chuckled quietly, pulling his own trunk down too and shrinking it so small, that it could fit in his trouser pocket. Harry did the same, feeling embarrassed at his stupidity.

“Ok”, said Hermione, crouching down on the floor with the other three boys, “we’ll see you over the holidays, yeah? We might pop around tonight, just to make sure you’ve got in okay and everything.” She hugged Harry tightly and gave him a kiss on the cheek, then hugged Draco tightly too. “Stay safe…we will try to get around on Christmas day…don’t go out, there is always the risk you could be seen. If you need anything, anything at all, Ron and I can send it through the Floo or with Pig.”  
“Hermione, we will be fine”, said Draco, firmly, but looking touched never the less.  
Hermione took a deep breath and then nodded. Then she suddenly flung her arms around Harry and Draco, pulling them both to her sides.   
“You’ll be okay”, she whispered, sounding like she was comforting herself more then Harry and Draco, “I love you both.”  
“Love you too”, said Draco, unexpectedly, tightening his hold on Hermione.”  
Harry smiled. He couldn’t believe how far Draco had come; from hating the lot of them to being practically one of the gang. He was surprised how well he fitted in with them, and if he thought about it, Draco seemed to fill that hole in their Trio; they needed a Slytherin to help them along – someone had to think before they acted.

Finally, Hermione let go of Harry and Draco, smiling softly at the both of them.   
The train slowed to a stop.  
“Oh shit”, said Harry, fumbling for the invisibility cloak. Ron handed it to him. Harry stared at Ron for a moment, and then wrapped his arms firmly around the red-head’s neck. Ron slapped him on the back in a brotherly fashion.  
“Tell your mum I’m sorry won’t you?” Harry asked.  
“Yeah”, said Ron, pulling away from Harry.  
Harry nodded and pulled Draco over. He shrunk the trunk next to them and shoved it into Draco’s hand, who put it in his other pocket. “We’ll see you around I guess”, said Harry.  
“Yeah, take care mate”, said Ron, with one last slap to Harry’s back, “and you, Draco.”  
Draco nodded held out his hand. Ron hesitated for a while, but then pulled Draco to him and slapped him on the back, just as he had done with Harry.  
Hermione sniffed in the corner. “Oh, come here, group hug”, she announced, grabbing them all together. Ron on Harry’s right side, Draco on his left, and Hermione facing him, Harry couldn’t help but feel, that maybe, this would be the last time they could be together, like this, for a long time.

“Come on, lets go”, said Draco suddenly. He took Harry’s hand, and Harry pulled the invisibility cloak up and over their heads. They stood up, making sure they were hidden.  
“We’ll be okay”, said Harry, reassuring Hermione more than anyone.  
“I know”, said Hermione, picking herself up from the floor, and making it look like she was talking to Ron as people outside on the Platform peered into the train.  
“Bye”, said Harry, as he and Draco pulled open the compartment door and slid out into the empty corridor.  
“See you later”, Ron muttered, standing near the door to make it look like he had opened it.   
“Yeah”, said Harry.   
He and Draco crept along the corridor and to the door nearest their compartment. They pressed themselves against the wall, hardly daring to breathe. They only waited a few minutes, before a small Ravenclaw second year, was the first to leave the train. As she opened the door, Harry and Draco snuck out after her, keeping themselves close to the train. They edged along, keeping themselves covered, until they reached the Floo point.   
Looking back, Harry saw Mrs Weasley’s crestfallen face, as Ron and Hermione explained to her that Harry wasn’t coming. He couldn’t hear the story they were telling her, but he knew it was good, as Mrs Weasley nodded without any indication of suspicion. As he turned back to Draco, out of the corner of his eye, Harry spotted Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, standing proudly, waiting for their only son to leave the train. Draco had obviously spotted them too as his eyes glazed over, watching as his Mother looked up and down the train for him.  
“Bye mother”, he murmured, and then he snapped back around, as though breaking from his momentary trance.  
Draco carefully summoned some Floo powder with his wand and caught it in his fingers. Harry held the cloak still as they both stepped into the fireplace, pressed chest to chest. Draco dropped the power and said “12, Grimmauld Place.”  
Then, in a whoosh of soot and glittering green powder, he and Draco were gone.

*

“I mean, Hufflepuffs are like a whole other race really aren’t they?” said Draco, seriously.  
Ron snorted, spraying Harry, Draco and Hermione in Butterbeer.  
“Erugh!” they all said, wiping butterbeer from their faces and arms.  
“Sorry”, Ron choked, messily wiping his mouth on his sleeve and putting his bottle down on the floor.  
Ron and Hermione had somehow escaped the clutches of Mrs Weasley earlier that night and had sneaked over to Grimmauld Place to celebrate Harry and Draco’s successful escape into hiding for the holidays; and as Ron had said, it was a cause for celebration, and celebration, in Ron’s own mental dictionary, meant getting trashed.

Harry grinned, happy to find himself sat in his own house with his best friends, his boyfriend next to him, holding his hand. If someone had told him this was how he would be spending his Christmas, he probably would’ve laughed in their faces. Him, going out with Draco Malfoy, and then Ron and Hermione both being ok with it?   
Never in a million years, he would’ve said, but obviously, miracles do happen.  
“How do you mean?” asked Hermione, still looking at Ron in a disapproving way.  
“Well, they don’t…”, Draco struggled to find the words, “they don’t have any real point to them do they.”  
Ron laughed again and everyone winced, waiting for more spraying beverage.  
Hermione scowled at Ron before turning back to Draco with interest and said, “Carry on.”  
“Well, Gryffindor’s are brave and courageous and all that junk – no offence – Slytherin’s have ambition and ingenuity, Ravenclaw’s have academic ambition and intelligence; but what do Hufflepuffs have? Nothing in my opinion…well, nothing useful.”  
“They are loyal”, Hermione offered.  
“Yeah, but so are Ravenclaws’, Slytherins’ – to their own kind anyway – and Gryffindors’; so Hufflepuff really doesn’t have a good quality of its own. My opinion is that it’s for the left over’s who don’t fit anywhere. The Slytherins can use them of course though; they are soft, weak…disposable.”  
Ron snorted again, slopping his butterbeer on the floor.  
“Oh honestly Ronald, I don’t see what’s so funny and I think you have had enough to drink!” Hermione scolded, pulling Ron’s butterbeer from his hands, “In case you haven’t noticed, you are the only one here who is drunk, get a hold of yourself.”  
“Yeah, sorry”, Ron said, “Can I have my drink back now?”  
“No you can’t”, Hermione snapped, holding it out of Ron’s reach.  
“Oh come on Hermione, it’s the holidays. Just let him have it”, said Harry.  
Hermione scowled at him, but handed Ron his drink back. “Don’t hork it all down like a pig”, she said.  
Ron nodded, putting the bottle down on the floor.

It was just like old times, Harry thought, watching with a gentle smile; Hermione keeping him and Ron in line. Some things just never changed, but then, sometimes things change for the better. He looked over at Draco who had also been watching Ron and Hermione with a smile on his face.  
Hermione looked around suddenly. “What?” she asked, looking from Harry to Draco.  
“Nothing. I was just thinking”, said Harry.  
“Ooo, always a dangerous sign”, said Ron jokingly, “don’t think too much!”  
“Thinking about what?” asked Draco, pulling Harry into his lap and running his fingers through the hair at the base of Harry’s neck.  
“Just, how much things have changed, but yet it’s just like it’s always been – if you know what I mean”, Harry said, struggling to put his feelings into words.  
“I know what you mean”, said Hermione to Harry’s relief, “you can’t quite believe that it hasn’t always been this way. Me, you, Ron and Draco; feels like it’s always been the four of us…I can’t believe how different everything is after five years of solid dislike.”  
They all nodded in agreement and then there was a silence, each to their own thoughts.

Hermione let out a long, slow breath, and then pulled back her sleeve to look at her watch.  
“I think we should be getting back really now Ron, your mother will worry”, said Hermione heavily, uncrossing her legs and stretching them out.  
Ron stood up and pulled Hermione up too by the hand; Hermione blushed, and Harry and Draco exchanged knowing looks, smirking.  
“We’ll be around again some time soon”, said Ron, his hand still holding Hermione’s.  
“Yeah, any time mate” said Harry, also getting up and pulling Draco with him.  
“I’ll warn you first”, said Ron with a wink in Draco’s direction.  
Draco gave a mock glare but then grinned at Ron. “See you two later.”  
Harry followed Ron and Hermione to the fireplace. They got in together and Ron took a hand full of Floo powder. With a shout of “The Burrow” and a whirl of green powder and fire, Ron and Hermione where gone.

Harry slung his arms around Draco’s neck. “Well, well, well Mr Malfoy. What are we going to do to entertain ourselves now?” he asked in mock thoughtfulness.  
Draco smirked. “I think I have a few ideas.”

 

_Author's Note: Sorry, sorry, sorry! I totally forgot I'd written this chapter! What an idiot!_  
Anyway, this is the last of my pre-written chapters, and I've got a lot of exams going on at the moment, so I literally have no idea when the next chapter will be!  
Sorry.  
Anyways, give me your thoughts yeah? I'll see what I can do 


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